''Pelophylax caralitanus'', commonly known as the Anatolian frog or Beyşehir frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to southern Turkey where it has a moderately large range and is considered near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Description

The dorsal surface of ''P. caralitanus'' is greenish-brown heavily blotched with dark brown. It is similar in appearance to the Levant water frog (''Pelophylax bedriagae'') and the

marsh frog The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia. Description The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...

(''Pelophylax ridibundus''), the two other lowland species of frog found in Turkey, but differs in being rather larger and not having longitudinal brown stripes on the head and back. It can also be distinguished from them by having a pale neck and belly blotched with red, orange, or sometimes yellow.

Distribution and habitat

''Pelophylax caralitanus'' is endemic to the Turkish Lakes Region of southwestern Turkey where it is found from the

Konya Plain The Konya Plain is a plain in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey, associated with the Konya Province. It is a flat plain (a height of 900–1050 m) that covers the majority of Konya Basin and constitutes the main part of the Central Anat ...

Denizli Denizli is an industrial city in the southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about . Denizli is located in the country's Aegean Region. ...

. It has been recorded in Lake Beyşehir, Lake Eğirdir,

Lake Suğla Lake Suğla ( tr, Suğla Gölü; anciently Trogitis, grc, Τρωγῖτις) is a large lake in Konya Province, southwestern part of Turkey. It is located at around . It has an area of 25–80 km². The water level in the lake fluctuates. Lak ...

, Çarşamba Creek (Konya),

Lake Gölcük A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

(Isparta),

Lake Hotamiş A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

, Ivriz (Ereğli/Konya), Işikli Lake in Çivril (Denizli), and Çardak (Denizli). It occupies lakes, reservoirs, ponds, pools, rivers, streams, ditches, springs and marshes. It is tolerant of disturbed habitats such as fish ponds.

Ecology

This is an aqueous species of frog which spends the main part of its life in fresh water locations with plentiful vegetation. The tadpoles are herbivorous and feed on

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

while the diet of the adult frog consists largely of insects and other aqueous invertebrates and their larvae; this is sometimes supplemented by the consumption of tadpoles.

Status

This frog is the largest edible frog native to Turkey and is collected for food, being exported commercially to France, Italy and Switzerland. It is also threatened by water extraction and loss of habitat, with several dams being planned to provide drinking water and crop irrigation. It is however present in two protected areas,

Lake Kovada National Park Lake Kovada National Park ( tr, Kovada Gölü Milli Parkı), established on November 3, 1970, is a national park in southern Turkey. It is located in the Sütçüler Sütçüler is a town and district of Isparta Province in the Mediterranean reg ...

and

Lake Beyşehir National Park Lake Beyşehir National Park ( tr, Beyşehir Gölü Milli Parkı), established in 1993, is a national park in Konya Province, central Turkey. Geography The national park is located within the districts Beyşehir and Hüyük of Konya Province. ...

. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being near-threatened.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1186053 Pelophylax Endemic fauna of Turkey Amphibians described in 1988 Amphibians of Turkey