Hose's Frog
Encyclopedia
Hose's Frog, Odorrana hosei, is a true frog
species
with a wide range in Southeast Asia
. This species was named after zoologist Charles Hose
.
Its closest living relatives appear to be O. chloronota
which occurs to the north of Hose's Frog's range, as well as O. livida
and O. morafkai
with a more limited range in Myanmar
and Vietnam
, respectively; these four appear to form a close-knit group wherein the northern species are barely closer to each other than Hose's Frog is to any of them. Also quite closely related is O. megatympanum
, another Vietnamese endemic.
Its tadpole
s apparently lack suctorial discs.
south of the Kra Isthmus
, on Phuket
, Tioman, Borneo
, the Batu Islands
, Sumatra
, Simeulue
, Bangka Island
, Belitung
and Java
. It lives in and along clear, swift streams and rivers in rainforest
up to 1,700 meters ASL
. Though declining in recent times due to deforestation
, it is still widely distributed and plentiful, and there is evidence that it is more tolerant of pollution
and will morer readily accept secondary forest
than many other frogs in the region. It is therefore listed as a Species of Least Concern
by the IUCN.
Eggs are probably deposited in water in a way roughly similar to other true frogs. But the eggs inside their gelatinous outer layer are cream-coloured without a dark hemisphere, indicating a specialised oviposition
site.
True frog
The true frogs, family Ranidae, have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on most continents except Antarctica...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
with a wide range 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...
. This species was named after zoologist Charles Hose
Charles Hose
Charles Hose was a British colonial administrator, zoologist and ethnologist.He was born in Hertfordshire, England, and was educated at Felsted in Essex. Admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 1882, he almost immediately migrated to Jesus College, and later left Cambridge without taking a degree...
.
Its closest living relatives appear to be O. chloronota
Odorrana chloronota
Odorrana chloronota is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Bangladesh and Nepal....
which occurs to the north of Hose's Frog's range, as well as O. livida
Odorrana livida
The green mountain frog, or Odorrana livida, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is endemic to Burma and Thailand.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known.-Source:...
and O. morafkai
Odorrana morafkai
Odorrana morafkai is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is endemic to Vietnam.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known....
with a more limited range in 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....
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 –...
, respectively; these four appear to form a close-knit group wherein the northern species are barely closer to each other than Hose's Frog is to any of them. Also quite closely related is O. megatympanum
Odorrana megatympanum
Odorrana megatympanum is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is endemic to Vietnam.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known.-Source:* Bain. R. 2004. . Downloaded...
, another Vietnamese endemic.
Description
This frog has a robust body with long, slender legs; males measure 50–60 mm, females 85-100 mm. The upperparts are dark green with brown sides, the underparts are pale, the limbs are marked with dark crossbars. Its finger- and toe-tips bear grooved discs.Its tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s apparently lack suctorial discs.
Distribution and ecology
Hose's Frog has been recorded from the Malay PeninsulaMalay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
south of the Kra Isthmus
Kra Isthmus
The Kra Isthmus is the narrow land bridge which connects the Malay Peninsula with the mainland of Asia, and popularly named "The Devil's Neck".-Geography:...
, on Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
, Tioman, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, the Batu Islands
Batu Islands
The Batu Islands are an archipelago of Indonesia located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, between Nias and Siberut. The three primary islands, of approximately equal size, are Pini, Tanahmasa, and Tanahbala. There are forty-eight smaller islands, of which less than half are...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Simeulue
Simeulue
Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue , 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with a population of 80,279 ....
, Bangka Island
Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
, Belitung
Belitung
Belitung, , is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. The island is known for its pepper and for its tin. It was in the possession of the British from 1812 until the British ceded control of the island to the Dutch in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824...
and Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. It lives in and along clear, swift streams and rivers in rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
up to 1,700 meters ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Though declining in recent times due to deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, it is still widely distributed and plentiful, and there is evidence that it is more tolerant of pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and will morer readily accept secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
than many other frogs in the region. It is therefore listed as a Species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN.
Eggs are probably deposited in water in a way roughly similar to other true frogs. But the eggs inside their gelatinous outer layer are cream-coloured without a dark hemisphere, indicating a specialised oviposition
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
site.