''Dryophytes suweonensis'', the Suweon treefrog or Suwon treefrog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to the Korean Peninsula probably from the

Imjin River The Imjin River (; South Korean spelling) or Rimjin (; North Korean spelling) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. ...

to the Mangyeong River, south of Iksan. Its distribution and population have been assessed to be below 800 individuals and the status of the species has been updated as Endangered by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

. The natural habitat of the species has been generally transformed into rice fields and it is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. The population size of the species has very strongl
declined in population size
similarly to the sister species '' Dryophytes immaculatus'' and '' Dryophytes flaviventris''. The Suweon tree frog and the Japanese tree frog, which is also found in the same region, are the only two hylid species found on the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

. Factors distinguishing them include the frequency of the call, calling behavior, webbing between the toes and the angle of the line between eyes and nostrils. The type locality for the Suweon tree frog is a rice paddy near the Office of Rural Development in

Suwon Suwon (; ) is the largest city and capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea's most populous province. The city lies approximately south of the national capital, Seoul. With a population of 1.2 million, Suwon has more inhabitants than Ulsan, tho ...

. It has a lifestyle similar to the Japanese tree frog, breeding in rice paddies. The species is not known to breed at any natural site, and microhabitat segregation differentiate them from the Japanese tree frog. The species is evolutionary significant due to its unusual ZW karyotype. The Suweon tree frog is listed as an "Endangered category I species" in Korea on basis of its limited distribution range and small population size. Besides, it is known to display high prevalence of Chytrid Fungus. However, this frog has also been listed as an

invasive species in the United States Invasive species are a crucial threat to many native habitats and species of the United States and a significant cost to agriculture, forestry, and recreation. An invasive species refers to an organism that is not native to a specific region and ...

."Amphibians - Frogs/Toads"
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 22 August 2013.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3060896 Amphibians described in 1980 Frogs of Asia Amphibians of Korea suweonensis Gyeonggi Province Endemic fauna of Korea

See also

References