''Papurana daemeli'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of "

true frog True frogs is the common name for the frog family Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North A ...

", family Ranidae. It is found in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and some smaller islands (

Yapen Yapen (also Japan, Jobi) is an island of Papua, Indonesia. The Yapen Strait separates Yapen and the Biak Islands to the north. It is in Cenderawasih Bay off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea. To the west is Mios Num Island a ...

New Hanover Island New Hanover Island, (german: Neuhannover), also called Lavongai, is a large volcanic island in the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. This region is part of the Bismarck Archipelago and lies at . Measuring some , it had a population of 5, ...

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...

). It is the only ranid frog found in

. In Australia, the species is restricted to the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

of northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and the eastern border of

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

, in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

. In Australia, it is usually known as wood frog (though in North America this would refer to ''

Lithobates sylvaticus ''Lithobates sylvaticus'' or ''Rana sylvatica'', commonly known as the wood frog, is a frog species that has a broad distribution over North America, extending from the Boreal forest of Canada, boreal forest of the north to the southern Appalach ...

'') or sometimes as water frog. Other vernacular names are Australian wood frog, Australian bullfrog, and Arnhem rana.

Description

Males can grow to and females to in snout–vent length; typical size for Australia are in males and in females. The body is elongated and the limbs are long and muscular. The tympanum is distinct and relatively larger in males than in females. A dorso-lateral skin fold runs from behind the eye to the hindlimb. Skin is smooth or weakly granular. The face mask is not prominent; the dark loreal stripe is often incomplete and the post-ocular stripe is discontinuous and not clearly defined. The dorsum is dark brown above and usually becomes lighter on the sides. Ventral grounds colour varies from dirty white to light straw and is superimposed by some gray clouding. Males have paired, lateral

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way ...

s. The male advertisement call is a distinctive, 2–5 note pulsed call. It has been described sounding like duck quacking or exaggerated, sneering laugh.

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 can grow to in total length and have long tails.

Ecology and behaviour

''Papurana daemeli'' is a semi-aquatic species. It occurs in rainforests, seasonally dry monsoon forests, and tropical woodlands, usually in association with permanent bodies of standing or slow-moving water (streams, swamps, lakes, pools, puddles, and lagoons). It can also occur in disturbed habitats, such as rural gardens and urban areas. Individuals usually hide among dense vegetation near water. In New Guinea it has been found up to

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. Males call from near water at different times of the year. ''Papurana daemeli'' preys upon arthropods (spiders, shrimps, cockroaches, grasshoppers, beetles, moths) and other frogs.

Conservation

''Papurana daemeli'' is one of the most common and widespread frogs in New Guinea. In Australia it is locally common. It is consumed as food in New Guinea, but no significant threats to it are known. It occurs in several protected areas.

References

External links

Recording of the call of ''H. daemeli'' by David Stewart
{{Taxonbar, from=Q26830121 daemeli Amphibians of Queensland Amphibians of the Northern Territory Amphibians of Papua New Guinea Amphibians of Western New Guinea Amphibians described in 1868 Taxa named by Franz Steindachner Frogs of Australia