| Pelophylax nigromaculatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
 Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Pelophylax |
| Species: | P. nigromaculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell, 1861) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Rana nigromaculata Hallowell, 1861 "1860" | |
Pelophylax nigromaculatus (formerly Rana nigromaculata), is a species of true frog found in East Asia, first described in 1861. This widespread and common frog has many common names, including dark-spotted frog, black-spotted pond frog, and black-spotted frog.
Occurrence
It occurs across much of mainland eastern-northeastern China, the Amur River valley in Russia, the Korean Peninsula (including Ulleungdo Island), and most of Japan, with the exception of Hokkaidō. It has been considered the most-common of the true frogs on the Korean Peninsula, and has been hunted for food there for centuries, and, in modern times, used as an experimental animal. There are also introduced populations in Turkmenistan, Oahu, and Saipan.
Habitat
The dark-spotted frog is a relatively low-altitude species, not being found above 2200 m. It ranges across a variety of habitats, from deserts and bushland to meadows and forests, and is typically found in or near stagnant or slow-moving water. Although relatively tolerant of human interference, it is increasingly threatened by hunting and water pollution.
Description
Adult males measure about 62 mm (2.4 in) and females 74 mm (2.9 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsal colouration varies from grey to greyish-olive, olive, and green. There are usually large dark spots, a light mid-dorsal line, and two lines on dorso-lateral folds. The belly is white. The toes are webbed. Males have a paired vocal sac and nuptial pads on the first finger.
Mating season occurs soon after hibernation. Maturation probably occurs at an age of two years, and the total life span may reach 13 years. The clutch size has been reported as 1800–3000 or 600–5000 eggs. The eggs are laid in shallow water.
Parasites
One species known to parasitize this frog is the opalinid Protoopalina pingi (in the rectum).
References
- ^ Sergius Kuzmin, Irina Maslova, Boris Tuniyev, Masafumi Matsui, Li Pipeng, Yoshio Kaneko (2004). "Pelophylax nigromaculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58679A11809026. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58679A11809026.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell, 1861)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- "Dark-spotted frog observations, Ulleung". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Pelophylax nigromaculatus". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- "참개구리 [Black-spotted pond frog]". Naver Encyclopedia (in Korean). Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- "Black-spotted Frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) - Species Profile". Nonindigenous Aquatic Species, United States Geological Survey. 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- "Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell, 1860)". AmphibiaChina (in Chinese). Kunming Institute of Zoology. 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ Li, Weidong; Wang, Chong; Huang, Feng; Li, Ming; Nilsen, Frank; Liu, Huiyu; Xu, Jianlong (2014). "Redescription of Protoopalina pingi Nie, 1935 inhabiting the recta of Hylarana guentheri and Pelophylax nigromaculatus in China". Parasite. 21: 46. doi:10.1051/parasite/2014021. PMC 4160848. PMID 25208482.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Pelophylax nigromaculatus |
|
| Rana nigromaculata | |