Common Green Frog
Encyclopedia
The common green frog is a frog
species of in the true frog family
Ranidae of superfamily
Ranoidea; some sources still use the old name Rana erythraea. It lives in Southeast Asia
and is also known as green paddy frog, red-eared frog or leaf frog.
The last name, however, commonly refers to the Neotropic
al tree frogs which make up the subfamily Phyllomedusinae
. These are not closely related to H. erythraea, belonging to family Hylidae in superfamily Hyloidea
instead.
, it is only as closely related to this genus as is e.g. Amolops
. Consequently the genus Hylarana
, of which the common green frog is the type species
, warrants re-establishment. Hylarana seems to form a clade
together with the similarly revalidated genera Pulchrana and Sylvirana, and presumably also Hydrophylax as well as some species presently placed in Pelophylax
(e.g. Kokarit Frog, "P." lateralis).
This frog has confused researchers for a long time, as it resembles tree frog
s in habitus
. It was initially placed in the tree frog genus Hyla
. The junior synonyms of the common green frog are:
, Cambodia
, Indonesia
, Laos
, Malaysia, Myanmar
, Singapore
, Thailand
, and Vietnam
. Introduced populations are found on Sulawesi
and the Philippines
. The similar frogs from northeastern India
and adjacent regions, formerly included here, are now separated as Hylarana tytleri.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, freshwater lake
s, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marsh
es, intermittent freshwater marches, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, irrigated land, seasonally flooded agricultural land, and introduced vegetation.
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
species of in the true frog family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Ranidae of superfamily
Superfamily
The term superfamily is used to describe several different concepts in different scientific fields:* Superfamily and Superfamily : a level of biological classification; redirects to Taxonomic rank...
Ranoidea; some sources still use the old name Rana erythraea. It lives in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and is also known as green paddy frog, red-eared frog or leaf frog.
The last name, however, commonly refers to the Neotropic
Neotropic
In biogeography, the Neotropic or Neotropical zone is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones. This ecozone includes South and Central America, the Mexican lowlands, the Caribbean islands, and southern Florida, because these regions share a large number of plant and animal groups.It is sometimes used...
al tree frogs which make up the subfamily Phyllomedusinae
Phyllomedusinae
Phyllomedusinae is a subfamily of Hylidae, the tree frogs. Commonly called leaf frogs, they are found in the Neotropics. The type genus Phyllomedusa contains more thean half of the known species within this subfamily.- Taxonomy :...
. These are not closely related to H. erythraea, belonging to family Hylidae in superfamily Hyloidea
Hyloidea
Hyloidea is a superfamily of frogs....
instead.
Taxonomy and systematics
Long placed in RanaRana (genus)
Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
, it is only as closely related to this genus as is e.g. Amolops
Amolops
Amolops is a quite large genus of true frogs native mainly to eastern and southeastern Asia. These frogs are quite closely related to such genera as Huia, Meristogenys, Odorrana, Pelohylax and Rana, but still form a distinct lineage among the core radiation of true frogs...
. Consequently the genus Hylarana
Hylarana
Hylarana is a widespread genus of true frogs found in tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. It includes around 86 species.-Taxonomy:Hylarana was previously considered to be a subgenus of the genus Rana. It was recognized as a distinct genus in 2005...
, of which the common green frog is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, warrants re-establishment. Hylarana seems to form a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
together with the similarly revalidated genera Pulchrana and Sylvirana, and presumably also Hydrophylax as well as some species presently placed in Pelophylax
Pelophylax
Pelophylax is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the "green frogs" of the Old World, which he considered distinct from the brown pond frogs of Linnaeus' genus Rana.They are...
(e.g. Kokarit Frog, "P." lateralis).
This frog has confused researchers for a long time, as it resembles tree frog
Tree frog
Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semi-aquatic.-Characteristics:...
s in habitus
Habitus
Habitus is the set of socially learnt dispositions, skills and ways of acting, that are often taken for granted, and which are acquired through the activities and experiences of everyday life....
. It was initially placed in the tree frog genus Hyla
Hyla
The genus Hyla is one of approximately 38 genera in the New World family of tree frogs . The word Hyla translates to "tree," and tree frogs are indeed arboreal...
. The junior synonyms of the common green frog are:
- Hyla erythraea Schlegel, 1837
- Hylorana erythraea (lapsusLapsusA lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Freud's early psychoanalytic theory, a lapsus represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
) - Limnodytes erythraeus (Schlegel, 1837)
- Polypedates erythraea (Schlegel, 1837)
- Rana erythraea (Schlegel, 1837)
Distribution and ecology
H. erythraea occurs in BruneiBrunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Malaysia, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Introduced populations are found on Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The similar frogs from northeastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and adjacent regions, formerly included here, are now separated as Hylarana tytleri.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, freshwater lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, intermittent freshwater marches, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, irrigated land, seasonally flooded agricultural land, and introduced vegetation.