Rana (genus)

__NOTOC__Taxobox
name = "Rana"
regnum = Animalia


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Northern Red-legged Frog ("Rana aurora")
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Amphibia
subclassis = Lissamphibia
ordo = Anura
subordo = Neobatrachia
familia = Ranidae
genus = "Rana"
genus_authority = Linnaeus, 1758
subdivision_ranks = Subgenera
subdivision = "Lithobates"
"Rana"
and see text
synonyms ="Lithobates"
and see text

"Rana" is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the Common Frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New World true frogs including the leopard frog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America, Central America, and the northern half of South America. Many other genera were formerly included hereCai "et al." (2007), Stuart (2008)] ; see below for details.

These true frogs are usually largish species characterized by their slim waists and wrinkled skin; many have thin ridges running along their backs but they generally lack "warts" like in typical toads. They are excellent jumpers due to their long slender legs. The typical webbing found on their hind feet allows for easy movement through water. Coloration is mostly greens and browns above, with darker and yellowish spots.

Many frogs in this genus breed in early spring, although subtropical and tropical species may breed throughout the year. Males of most of the species are known to call, but a few species are thought to be voiceless. Females lay eggs in rafts or large globular clusters and can produce up to 20,000 at one time.

ystematics

There are now some 90 species placed in this genus; many other species formerly placed in "Rana" are now placed elsewhere. "Rana" is now restricted to the New World true frogs and the Eurasian brown and pond frogs of the Common Frog "R. temporaria" group. The validity and delimitation of the subgenera is somewhat disputed. [Hillis & Wilcox (2005), Hillis (2007), Stuart (2008)]

Genera recently split from "Rana" are "Babina", "Clinotarsus" (including "Nasirana"), "Glandirana", "Hydrophylax", "Hylarana", "Odorrana" (including "Wurana"), "Pelophylax", "Pulchrana", "Sanguirana" and "Sylvirana". Of these, "Odorrana" is so closely related to "Rana" proper that it could conceivably be included here once again. The others seem to be far more distant relatives, in particular "Pelophylax".

New species are still being described in some numbers.

pecies

* "Rana amurensis" – Siberian Tree Frog, Siberian Wood Frog, Amur Brown Frog
* "Rana areolata" – Crawfish Frog, Ringed Frog, Hoosier Frog, Texas Frog
* "Rana arvalis" – Moor Frog
* "Rana asiatica" – Central Asiatic Frog, Asian Frog
* "Rana aurora" – Northern Red-legged Frog
* "Rana bergeri" – Italian Pool Frog
* "Rana berlandieri" – Rio Grande Leopard Frog, Mexican Leopard Frog
* "Rana blairi" – Plains Leopard Frog, Blair's Leopard Frog
* "Rana bolavensis" ("Odorrana"?)
* "Rana boylii" – Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
* "Rana brownorum"
* "Rana bwana" – Rio Chipillico Frog
* "Rana camerani"
* "Rana capito" – Gopher Frog
* "Rana cascadae" – Cascades Frog
* "Rana catesbeiana" – American Bullfrog
* "Rana chaochiaoensis" – Chaochiao Frog
* "Rana chensinensis" – Asiatic Grass Frog, Chinese Brown Frog
* "Rana chevronta" – Chevron-spotted Brown Frog
* "Rana chichicuahutla"
* "Rana chiricahuensis" – Chiricahua Leopard Frog
* "Rana clamitans" – Green Frog
* "Rana coreana"
* "Rana dalmatina" – Agile Frog
* "Rana draytonii" – California Red-legged Frog
* "Rana dunni"
* "Rana dybowskii" – Dybowski's Frog
* "Rana fisheri" – Vegas Valley Leopard Frog
* "Rana forreri"
* "Rana graeca" – Greek Stream Frog, Greek Frog
* "Rana grylio" – Pig Frog
* "Rana hanluica"
* "Rana heckscheri" – River Frog
* "Rana holtzi"
* "Rana huanrenensis" – Huanren Frog
* "Rana iberica" – Iberian Frog
* "Rana indeprensa" ("Odorrana"?)
* "Rana italica" – Italian Stream Frog
* "Rana japonica" – Japanese Brown Frog
* "Rana johni"
* "Rana johnsi" – John's Groove-toed Frog
* "Rana juliani" – Maya Mountains Frog
* "Rana kukunoris" – Plateau Brown Frog
* "Rana kunyuensis"
* "Rana latastei" – Italian Agile Frog, Lataste's Frog
* "Rana lemosespinali"
* "Rana longicrus" – Taipa Frog
* "Rana luteiventris" – Columbia Spotted Frog
* "Rana macroglossa"
* "Rana macrocnemis" – Long-legged Wood Frog, Caucasus Frog, Turkish Frog, Brusa Frog
* "Rana maculata"
* "Rana magnaocularis" – Northwest Mexico Leopard Frog
* "Rana megapoda"
* "Rana miadis" – Island Leopard Frog
* "Rana montezumae"
* "Rana multidenticulata"
* "Rana muscosa" – Mountain Yellow-legged Frog
* "Rana neovolcanica" – Transverse Volcanic Leopard Frog
* "Rana okaloosae" – Florida Bog Frog
* "Rana omiltemana" – Guerreran Leopard Frog
* "Rana onca" – Relict Leopard Frog
* "Rana ornativentris" – Montane Brown Frog, Nikkō Frog
* "Rana palmipes" – Amazon River Frog
* "Rana palustris" – Pickerel Frog
* "Rana pipiens" – Northern Leopard Frog
* "Rana pirica" – Hokkaidō Frog
* "Rana pretiosa" – Oregon Spotted Frog
* "Rana psilonota"
* "Rana pueblae"
* "Rana pustulosa"
* "Rana pyrenaica" – Pyrenean Frog, Pyrenees Frog
* "Rana sakuraii" – Stream Brown Frog, Napparagawa Frog
* "Rana sauteri"
* "Rana septentrionalis" – Mink Frog
* "Rana sevosa" – Dusky Gopher Frog, Mississippi Gopher Frog
* "Rana shuchinae" – Sichuan Frog
* "Rana sierrae"
* "Rana sierramadrensis"
* "Rana spectabilis"
* "Rana sphenocephala" – Southern Leopard Frog
* "Rana subaquavocalis" – Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog
* "Rana sylvatica" – Wood Frog
* "Rana tagoi" – Tago's Brown Frog
* "Rana tarahumarae"
* "Rana taylori"
* "Rana temporaria" – Common Frog, European Common Frog, European Common Brown Frog
* "Rana tlaloci" – Tlaloc's Leopard Frog
* "Rana tsushimensis" – Tsushima Brown Frog, Tsushima Leopard Frog
* "Rana vaillanti" – Vaillant's Frog
* "Rana vibicaria"
* "Rana warszewitschii"
* "Rana weiningensis"
* "Rana yavapaiensis" – Lowland Leopard Frog
* "Rana zhengi"
* "Rana zhenhaiensis" – Zhenhai Brown Frog
* "Rana zweifeli" – Zweifel's Frog
* "Rana" sp. 'Okinawa' – Ryūkyū Brown Frog, Okinawa Frog

The Harpist Brown Frog, Kampira Falls Frog or Yaeyama Harpist Frog was formerly known as "R. psaltes"; it was subsequently identified as the long-known "R. okinavana". That name has been misapplied to the Ryūkyū Brown Frog but the Harpist Brown Frog is a rather distinct species that apparently belongs in "Babina" or "Nidirana" if these are considered valid. [Matsui (2007)]

Footnotes

References

* (2007): Paraphyly of Chinese "Amolops" (Anura, Ranidae) and phylogenetic position of the rare Chinese frog, "Amolops tormotus". "Zootaxa" 1531: 49–55. [http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/z01531p055f.pdf PDF abstract and first page text]
* (1995) Frogs of the subgenus "Pelophylax" (Amphibia, Anura, genus "Rana"): a catalogue of available and valid scientific names, with comments on the name-bearing types, complete synonymies. proposed common names, and maps showing all type localities. "In:" aut|Ogielska, M. (ed.): II International Symposium on Ecology and Genetics of European water frogs, 18-25 September 1994, Wroclaw, Poland. "Zoologica Poloniae" 39(3-4): 139-204
* (2006): [http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference] . Version 4, 2006-AUG-17.
* (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 42: 331–338. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.001 [http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/679.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs ("Rana"). "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 34(2): 299–314. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 [http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/215.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2007): Unmasking "Rana okinavana" Boettger, 1895 from the Ryukyus, Japan (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae). "Zool. Sci." 24: 199–204. doi|10.2108/zsj.24.199 (HTML abstract)
* (2008): The phylogenetic problem of "Huia" (Amphibia: Ranidae). "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 46(1): 49-60. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2007.09.016 (HTMl abstract)

External links

* [http://amphibiaweb.org/index.html AmphibiaWeb]