''Alcalus mariae'', common name Mary's frog or Palawan eastern frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

in the family

Ceratobatrachidae The Ceratobatrachidae are a family of frogs found in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, New Guinea, and the Admiralty, Bismarck, and Solomon Islands. Taxonomy Ceratobatrachidae was formerly treated as a subfamily (i.e ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Palawan Island Palawan is the largest island of the province of Palawan in the Philippines and fifth-largest by area and tenth-most populous island of the country, with a total population of 994,101 as of 2020 census. The north west coast of the island is alon ...

, the Philippines, and only known from its type locality, Mount Balabag, in the Mantalingajan mountain range. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

refers to Mary Lee Inger née Ballew, first wife of

Robert F. Inger Robert Frederick Inger (September 10, 1920 – April 12, 2019) was an American herpetologist. During his lifetime, he wrote numerous books and publications about herpetology. He was also the curator for amphibians and reptiles at the Field Mus ...

who formally described the species in 1954.

Description

The

type series In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

of ''Alcalus mariae'' consists of two males measuring in snout–vent length. They are stocky frogs with depressed, broad head and rounded snout. Tympanum is visible though rim hidden by skin. Tips of digits are expanded into large, round disks. Legs are stout and relatively short. Toes are webbed and have disks similar in size to those on fingers. Skin of all dorsal surfaces is coarsely shagreen. Chest and belly are strongly rugose but gular region is less so. Tubercles are present laterally.

Habitat and conservation

The natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of ''Alcalus mariae'' is lower

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

where it occurs in the forest floor leaf-litter.

Habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

is the most important threat to this species, although the area of type locality is generally well protected. The frog is the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species in the Philippines, as listed by the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

in their

EDGE species Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are animal species which have a high 'EDGE score', a metric combining endangered conservation status with the genetic distinctiveness of the particular taxon. Distinctive species have ...

analysis, where it ranked 75th out of the thousands of amphibian species known to humanity.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28053379 mariae Amphibians of the Philippines Endemic fauna of the Philippines Fauna of Palawan Taxa named by Robert F. Inger Amphibians described in 1954 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot