''Kurixalus idiootocus'' is a small 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

Rhacophoridae The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs that occur in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They are commonly ...

. 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 Taiwan and is commonly known as the temple tree frog. Its 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 ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

, seasonally wet or flooded lowland

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

, freshwater

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

es, intermittent freshwater marshes and irrigated land. It is listed as being of "

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

although there may be some destruction of its

Description

''Kurixalus idiootocus'' is a small tree frog measuring in length with the females usually being larger than the males. The head is broad with a triangular, pointed snout. This frog is some shade of pale or medium brown with a dark-coloured stripe running along the spine. The sides of the head and body are marbled with dark brown patches and spots and there is often a large, deep brown hourglass-shaped pattern on the central back. The upper side of the head bears tubercles and the skin is granulated. There are flattened discs on the fingers and toes, and some webbing, especially on the hind feet.

Distribution and habitat

''Kurixalus idiootocus'' is widespread in Taiwan at altitudes of up to above sea level. It is typically found near still sheets of water, in paddy fields, damp grassland or shrubby areas.

Life cycle

The breeding season of ''Kurixalus idiootocus'' lasts from March to June. Male frogs aggregate in suitable locations and call from the ground or low shrubs and are aggressive with one another. The advertisement call consists of a series of bird-like trills lasting several seconds, repeated periodically. Unusually, the egg masses containing about 180 eggs are deposited on land in close proximity to water; in reference to this, the specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek “''idios'',” or "peculiar", and "''ootocos''," or "egg-laying", according to the describers Kuramoto and Wang. The eggs have two jelly-like coatings, the outer one being tough and non-sticky. They are laid in depressions in the ground, under stones, in crevices or holes and are sometimes covered with dead leaves. Hatching does not take place until heavy rainfall occurs and the depression fills up or the

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s get washed into the nearby ditch, pond or temporary pool. The tadpoles are dark brown, sometimes with black spots, and are

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

Status

In its

Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

, the

lists ''Kurixalus idiootocus'' as being of "

". This is because it is a common species with a relatively large range and its population seems to be stable. There is probably some destruction of its habitat by humans but it is present in a number of protected areas where it should be free from disturbance.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2697838 Amphibians of Taiwan Endemic fauna of Taiwan Kurixalus Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1987