''Zhangixalus aurantiventris'' (common names: orange-belly treefrog, orange-bellied treefrog) 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

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 ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. It is known from scattered localities across Taiwan at low to mid altitudes.

Description

Adult males in 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 ...

measure in snout–vent length. In a population in

Taitung County Taitung County (; Mandarin pinyin: ''Táidōng Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island' ...

, adult males measured and adult females in snout–vent length; mean male and female body mass were 8 and 15 grams, respectively. The snout is short and roundish. The tympanum is nearly circular; supratympanic fold is present. The fingers and the toes are webbed and bear discs, the former larger than the latter. Skin is smooth. The dorsum is dark green; pale yellowish spots may be present. The lips are white. The venter is orange-red. The iris is plain yellow; the pupil is vertical. The male advertisement call sounds like a low-pitched "gree", lasting about 0.4 seconds.

Habitat and ecology

''Zhangixalus aurantiventris'' occurs in primary broad-leaf forests at low and mid altitudes. Breeding takes place in tree holes and buckets.

Conservation

''Zhangixalus aurantiventris'' is a rare species. It is believed to be on decline, but reasons for this are not known—its habitat is not considered threatened. It is present in Fushan Nature Reserve and Lichia Wildlife Refuge. It is classified as "

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

" in the

IUCN 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 ...

and in the Taiwan Wildlife Conservation Act.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q746652 aurantiventris Amphibians of Taiwan Endemic fauna of Taiwan Amphibians described in 1994 Taxa named by Kuang-yang Lue Taxonomy articles created by Polbot