Daruma pond frog

Daruma pond frog
Tokyo Daruma pond frog
Nagoya Daruma pond frog
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Pelophylax
Species:
P. porosus
Binomial name
Pelophylax porosus
(Cope, 1868)[2]
Synonyms
  • Tomopterna porosa Cope, 1868
  • Rana porosa (Cope, 1868)

The Daruma pond frog (Pelophylax porosus) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It has two subspecies, P. porosus porosus (the Tokyo Daruma pond frog) and P. porosus brevipodus (the Nagoya Daruma pond frog). It is endemic to Japan. The average size of males is 3.5 to 6.2 cm, while females are from 3.7 to 7.3 cm.

Its natural habitats are temperate grassland, rivers, freshwater marshes, ponds, irrigated land, and canals and ditches. Their primary habitat is rice fields, as it is important for breeding and producing new frogs. [3] It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.[1]

Behaviour

Diet and hunting

The Daruma pond frog's diet consists primarily of insects and spiders. However, they also will consume ants, beetles, dipterans, bugs, pond snails and orthopterans. They hunt by utilizing their hind-legs to jump at prey that come within their feeding range. [4]

Reproduction

Daruma pond frogs' breeding occurs during April to July, and their lifespans within 3 to 4 years. [3]

References

  1. ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2021). "Pelophylax porosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T58699A179261024. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T58699A179261024.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Pelophylax porosus (Cope, 1868)". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b Naito, Risa S.; Sakai, Masaru; Natuhara, Yosihiro; Morimoto, Yukihiro (2024-01-25). "Roles of Rice Paddies and Neighboring Biotopes with Different Hydroperiods in Providing Habitat for an Endangered Pond Frog Population in Japan". Wetlands. 44 (2): 21. doi:10.1007/s13157-024-01781-z. ISSN 1943-6246.
  4. ^ Hirai, Toshiaki; Matsui, Masafumi (2001). "Food habits of an endangered Japanese frog, Rana porosa brevipoda". Ecological Research. 16 (4): 737–743. doi:10.1046/j.1440-1703.2001.00430.x. ISSN 1440-1703.