Real frogs (genus)

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Real frogs
American marsh frog (Rana palustris)

American marsh frog ( Rana palustris )

Systematics
Row : Land vertebrates (Tetrapoda)
without rank: Amphibians (Lissamphibia)
Order : Frog (anura)
Subordination : Neobatrachia
Family : Real frogs (Ranidae)
Genre : Real frogs
Scientific name
Rana
Linnaeus , 1758

The real frogs ( Rana ; from Latin "the frog") are the species-richest genus within the family of real frogs (Ranidae).

features

The real frogs are medium-sized to large, strong frogs with long hind legs, which enable them to make long leaps (for anatomy compare: Neobatrachia ). The skin is smoother and more moist than that of toads ; they also lack parotids . To do this, two glandular ridges run along the back , starting behind the eyes and extending into the hip region. The snout is more pointed; the eardrum is usually large and clearly visible. The oval pupils are positioned horizontally. There are usually well-formed webbed feet between the toes of the hind feet. The males of the real frogs often have sound bladders - in the water frogs these are paired behind the corners of the mouth so that they can be turned out. Brown frogs call only very softly with internal sound bubbles.

The mating takes place with an axillary clasping by the male, i.e. backwards behind the front legs of the female. In order not to slip, the males develop so-called oestrus calluses . The spawn is usually released into the water in the form of lumpy gelatinous balls.

Distribution and Taxonomy

Spawning balls of the common frog ( Rana temporaria )

The genus Rana occurs with around 270 species worldwide from the cold-temperate to the tropical zones. By far the greatest diversity of forms can be found in Southeast Asia, followed by Africa, North and South America. The fauna of Australia only includes one species ( Rana daemeli ), which is also the only representative of the entire Ranidae family on this continent.

There are around 22 taxa in Europe , although the method of counting is still provisional because of the very complex, still not conclusively clarified relationship between the green or water frogs - currently around 13 species and hybrids are known for the European area . In addition to water frogs also called to be here to look and lifestyle Brown Frogs distinction (see. For example, grass , peat and agile frog ). Newer phylogenetic studies call for a further subdivision of the taxon into different genera, since there Rana is regarded as a paraphyletic collective genus. Many authors now assign the green or water frogs to their own genus Pelophylax . The North American bullfrog is now placed in a genus Lithobates . Only about 50 species would then remain in the genus Rana .

species

Moor frog ( Rana arvalis ),
pair in amplexus
Greek frog ( Rana graeca )
Crab Frog ( Rana areolata )
Rana aurora
Rana boylii
Rana cascadae
Rana chiricahuensis
Rana coreana
California red-legged frog ( Rana draytonii )
Rana dybowskii
Rana japonica
Rana muscosa
Rana ornativentris
Rana pretiosa
Rana sierrae
Southern leopard frog ( Rana sphenocephala )

Web links

Commons : Genus Real Frogs  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Feinberg JA et al. 2014. Cryptic Diversity in Metropolis: Confirmation of a New Leopard Frog Species (Anura: Ranidae) from New York City and Surrounding Atlantic Coast Regions. PLoS ONE 9 (10): e108213; doi : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0108213 .
  2. ↑ Masashi Ryuzaki, Yoshinori Hasegawa, Mitsuru Kuramoto: A New Brown Frog of the Genus Rana from Japan (Anura: Ranidae) revealed by Cytological and Bioacoustic Studies. Alytes 31 (3-4), 2014, pp. 49-58 (PDF; 8.28 MB)