True frogs is the
common name for the
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all
continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas t ...
s except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North America, northern South America, Europe, Africa (including
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
), and Asia. The Asian range extends across the
East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
to
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
and a single species (the
Australian wood frog (''Hylarana daemelii'')) has spread into the far north of Australia.
Typically, true frogs are smooth and moist-skinned, with large, powerful legs and extensively webbed feet. The true frogs vary greatly in size, ranging from small—such as the
wood frog
''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 the north to the southern Appalachians, with several nota ...
(''Lithobates sylvatica'')—to large.
Many of the true frogs are aquatic or live close to water. Most species lay their eggs in the water and go through a tadpole stage. However, as in most families of frogs, there is large variation of
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 ...
within the family. There are also arboreal species of true frogs, and the family includes some of the very few
amphibians that can live in
brackish water
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
.
[
]
Evolution
The Ranidae are related to several other frog families that have Eurasian
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Ja ...
and Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
origins, including 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 co ...
, Dicroglossidae
The frog family Dicroglossidae occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa, with most genera and species being found in Asia. The common name of the family is fork-tongued frogs.
The Dicroglossidae were previously considered to ...
, Nyctibatrachidae, Micrixalidae, and Ranixalidae
Ranixalidae is a family of frogs commonly known as the leaping frogs or Indian frogs. They are endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or oth ...
. They are thought to be most closely related to the Indian-endemic Nyctibatrachidae, from which they diverged in the early Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
. However, other studies recover a closer relationship with the Dicroglossidae.
It was previously thought that the Ranidae and their closest relatives were of Gondwanan
Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stage ...
origins, having evolved on Insular India
The term Insular India refers to the isolated landmass which became the Indian subcontinent. Across the latter stages of the Cretaceous and most of the Paleocene, following the breakup of Gondwana, the Indian subcontinent remained an isolated land ...
during the Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
. They were then entirely restricted to the Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
until the late Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
, when India collided with Asia, allowing the Ranidae to colonize Eurasia and eventually the rest of the world. However, more recent studies instead propose that the Ranidae originated in Eurasia, and their close relationship with India-endemic frog lineages is due to those lineages colonizing India from Eurasia during the Paleogene.
Systematics
The subdivisions of the Ranidae are still a matter of dispute, although most are coming to an agreement. Several former subfamilies are now recognised as separate families (Petropedetidae
The Petropedetidae are a family of frogs containing three genera and 12 species. They are found in sub-Saharan tropical Africa and are sometimes known under common name African torrent frogs.
They are inhabitants of the splash-water zone of cle ...
, Cacosterninae, Mantellidae
The Mantellidae are a family of the order Anura. These frogs are endemic to the islands of Madagascar and Mayotte.
Systematics
The family Mantellidae is composed of three extremely ecologically diverse groups of frogs, divided into three sub ...
, and Dicroglossidae
The frog family Dicroglossidae occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa, with most genera and species being found in Asia. The common name of the family is fork-tongued frogs.
The Dicroglossidae were previously considered to ...
). The genus ''Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
'' has now been split up and is much reduced in size.
While too little of the vast diversity of true frogs has been subject to recent studies to say something definite, as of mid-2008, studies are going on, and several lineages are recognizable.[
* The genus '']Staurois
''Staurois'' is a small genus of minuscule true frogs. Most species in the genus are restricted to Borneo, but two species are from the Philippines.Arifin, U., D. T. Iskandar, D. P. Bickford, R. M. Brown, R. Meier, and S. N. Kutty. (2011). Phyl ...
'' is probably a very ancient offshoot of the main Raninae
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 ...
lineage.
* '' Amolops'' has been generally delimited as a monophyletic group.
* ''Odorrana
''Odorrana'' (commonly known as the odorous frog) is a genus of true frogs (Ranidae) from East Asia and surrounding regions. Many of these frogs inhabit fast-flowing mountain streams, and they typically have a remarkably pointed snout, as evidenc ...
'' and ''Rana'' plus some proposed minor genera (which probably ought to be included in the latter) form another group.
* A group including '' Clinotarsus'', ''Huia
The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was a credible sighting in 1924.
It ...
'' in the strict sense and ''Meristogenys
''Meristogenys'' is a genus of true frogs from Borneo. Its tadpoles are adapted to fast-flowing mountain streams and easily recognizable by their divided upper lip with ribs on the outside.Stuart (2008)
Taxonomy and systematics
Its closest livin ...
''
* An ill-defined assemblage of '' Babina'', '' Glandirana'', ''Hylarana
''Hylarana'', commonly known as golden-backed frogs, is a genus of true frogs found in tropical Asia. It was formerly considered highly diverse, containing around 84 to 96 valid species, but taxonomic revision resulted in a major change in the c ...
'', '' Pulchrana'', '' Sanguirana'', and '' Sylvirana'', as well as '' Hydrophylax'' and ''Pelophylax
''Pelophylax'' is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the green frogs of the Old World, which he considered distinct f ...
'', which are probably not monophyletic. Some authorities have treated them as junior synonyms of the genus ''Hylarana
''Hylarana'', commonly known as golden-backed frogs, is a genus of true frogs found in tropical Asia. It was formerly considered highly diverse, containing around 84 to 96 valid species, but taxonomic revision resulted in a major change in the c ...
''.
The following phylogeny of some genera was recovered by Che ''et al''., 2007 using mitochondrial genes
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
.
Genera
Most of the subfamilies formerly included under Ranidae are now treated as separate families, leaving only Raninae remaining. The following genera are recognised in the family Ranidae:
* '' Abavorana'' Oliver, Prendini, Kraus, and Raxworthy, 2015
* ''Amnirana
''Amnirana'' is a genus of frogs in the family Ranidae, "true frogs". The genus is primarily found in Sub-Saharan Africa, but one species occurs in parts of southern and southeastern Asia. Some of the African species are widespread but contain u ...
'' Dubois, 1992
* '' Amolops'' Cope, 1865
* '' Babina'' Thompson, 1912
* '' Chalcorana'' Dubois, 1992
* '' Clinotarsus'' Mivart 1869
* '' Glandirana'' Fei, Ye, and Huang, 1990
* ''Huia
The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was a credible sighting in 1924.
It ...
'' Yang, 1991
* ''Humerana
''Humerana'' is a genus of frogs in the family Ranidae from southern and southeastern Asia. It was originally proposed as a subgenus of ''Rana''. It may belong to '' Hylarana''.
''Humerana'' contains the following species:
* ''Humerana humerali ...
'' Dubois, 1992
* '' Hydrophylax'' Fitzinger, 1843
* ''Hylarana
''Hylarana'', commonly known as golden-backed frogs, is a genus of true frogs found in tropical Asia. It was formerly considered highly diverse, containing around 84 to 96 valid species, but taxonomic revision resulted in a major change in the c ...
'' Tschudi 1838
* '' Indosylvirana'' Oliver, Prendini, Kraus, and Raxworthy, 2015
* ''Lithobates
''Lithobates'' is a genus of true frogs, of the family Ranidae. The name is derived from '' litho-'' (stone) and the Greek ' (, one that treads), meaning one that treads on rock, or rock climber.
The name was defined by Hillis and Wilcox (2005) ...
'' Fitzinger, 1843
* ''Meristogenys
''Meristogenys'' is a genus of true frogs from Borneo. Its tadpoles are adapted to fast-flowing mountain streams and easily recognizable by their divided upper lip with ribs on the outside.Stuart (2008)
Taxonomy and systematics
Its closest livin ...
'' Yang, 1991
* ''Nidirana
''Nidirana'' is a genus of true frogs (Ranidae) from East and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-easter ...
'' Dubois, 1992
* ''Odorrana
''Odorrana'' (commonly known as the odorous frog) is a genus of true frogs (Ranidae) from East Asia and surrounding regions. Many of these frogs inhabit fast-flowing mountain streams, and they typically have a remarkably pointed snout, as evidenc ...
'' Fei, Ye, and Huang, 1990
* '' Papurana'' Dubois, 1992
* ''Pelophylax
''Pelophylax'' is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the green frogs of the Old World, which he considered distinct f ...
'' Fitzinger 1843
* '' Pseudorana'' Fei, Ye, and Huang, 1990
* '' Pterorana'' Kiyasetuo and Khare, 1986
* '' Pulchrana'' Dubois, 1992
* ''Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
'' Linnaeus, 1758
* '' Sanguirana'' Dubois, 1992
* ''Staurois
''Staurois'' is a small genus of minuscule true frogs. Most species in the genus are restricted to Borneo, but two species are from the Philippines.Arifin, U., D. T. Iskandar, D. P. Bickford, R. M. Brown, R. Meier, and S. N. Kutty. (2011). Phyl ...
'' Cope, 1865
* ''Sumaterana
''Sumaterana'', commonly known as Sumatran cascade frogs, is a genus of true frogs in the family Ranidae endemic to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Species inhabit fast-flowing streams found in primary or secondary forests.
Species
Three speci ...
'' Arifin, Smart, Hertwig, Smith, Iskandar, and Haas, 2018
* '' Sylvirana'' Dubois, 1992
* ''Wijayarana
''Wijayarana'' is a group of true frogs found in Southeast Asia. Their common name is Wijaya cascade frogs. Many are commonly known as "torrent frogs" after their favorite habitat - small rapid-flowing mountain and hill streams -, but this name is ...
'' Arifin, Chan, Smart, Hertwig, Smith, Iskandar, and Haas, 2021
''Incertae sedis''
A number of taxa are placed in Ranidae ''incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
'', that is, their taxonomic status is too uncertain to allow more specific placement.
* "''Hylarana''" ''chitwanensis'' (Das, 1998)
* "''Hylarana''" ''garoensis'' (Boulenger, 1920)
* "''Hylarana''" ''latouchii'' (Boulenger, 1899)
* "''Hylarana''" ''margariana'' Anderson, 1879
* "''Hylarana''" ''montivaga'' (Smith, 1921)
* "''Hylarana''" ''persimilis'' (Van Kampen, 1923)
See also
* Halipegus eccentricus, a monoecious, digenea parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
trematode
Trematoda is a class of flatworms known as flukes. They are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is usually a snail. The definitive h ...
commonly found in true frogs in North America
References
* (2004): ''Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians'' (2nd ed.). Fog City Press.
* (2006): Amphibian Species of the World Version 3
Petropedetidae Noble, 1931
American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Retrieved 2006-AUG-05.
* (2006): The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Number 297. New York.
* (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. '' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.'' 42 (2): 331–338. PDF fulltext
* (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (''Rana''). '' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.'' 34 (2): 299–314. PDF fulltext
* (2009): Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. ''Herpetologica'' 65: 115-128.
* (2007): "''Fine del prodromo d'erpetologia siciliana'' ". ''Specchio delle Scienze, o, Giornale Enciclopedico di Sicilia'' 2: 102-104. (Ranidae, new family). (in Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
).
{{Authority control
*
Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque