Hong Kong cascade frog or Hong Kong torrent frog (''Amolops hongkongensis'') is a species 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 Am ...

from southern coastal China, once thought to be endemic to

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

. Their eggs are laid on rock faces in the splash zones of cascades. In Hong Kong, it is a

protected species 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 invas ...

under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170.

Distribution and habitat

Originally described from

Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of . It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the n ...

in Hong Kong, populations are now also known from

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

. In Hong Kong, the species is found in the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

and on Hong Kong Island. It was found in rather small streams in

Lung Fu Shan Lung Fu Shan or Hill Above Belcher's is a hill on the northwestern part of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, and an area on the northeastern slope of the hill where the main campus and centennial campus of the University of Hong Kong are located. The ...

. ''Amolops hongkongensis'' inhabit forest-fringed, small hill streams, particularly those with cascades.

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 ...

s have a ventral

sucker Sucker may refer to: General use * Lollipop or sucker, a type of confection * Sucker (slang), a slang term for a very gullible person * Hard candy ** Cough drop ** Mint (candy) Biology * Sucker (botany), a term for a shoot that arises undergro ...

helping them to maintain their position in the stream. Its habitat is threatened by silviculture, clear-cutting, and dam and other infrastructure construction.

Description

Both male and female ''Amolops hongkongensis'' grow to a snout–vent length of .

s are up to in length. The diameter of its suction discs is 3-4 times the width of the fingers. It contains the tarsal fold and has white velvety

nuptial pad A nuptial pad (also known as thumb pad, or nuptial excrescence) is a secondary sex characteristic present on some mature male frogs and salamanders. Triggered by androgen hormones, this breeding gland (a type of mucous gland) appears as a spiked ...

s on the first fingers.

Gallery

File:Hong Kong torrent frog (Amolops hongkongensis) 3.jpg, alt=Hong Kong cascade frog (Amolops hongkongensis) at a waterfall in Hong Kong, Hong Kong cascade frog (''Amolops hongkongensis'') File:Hong Kong torrent frog (Amolops hongkongensis).jpg, alt=Hong Kong cascade frog (Amolops hongkongensis) at a waterfall in Hong Kong, Hong Kong cascade frog (''Amolops hongkongensis'') File:Hong Kong torrent frog (Amolops hongkongensis) 2.jpg, alt=Hong Kong cascade frog (Amolops hongkongensis) at a waterfall in Hong Kong, Hong Kong cascade frog (''Amolops hongkongensis'')

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2716158 Amolops Frogs of China Fauna of Hong Kong Endemic fauna of China Amphibians described in 1951 Taxa named by Clifford H. Pope Endangered Fauna of China