- Dark-spotted frog
-
Dark-spotted frog 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Family: Ranidae Genus: Pelophylax Species: P. nigromaculatus Binomial name Pelophylax nigromaculatus
Hallowell, 1861[verification needed]The Dark-spotted frog, or black-spotted frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus (formerly Rana nigromaculata), is a species of true frog found in East Asia. It occurs across much of eastern and northeastern China, the Amur River valley in Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and most of Japan, although it does not occur on Hokkaidō. It has been considered the commonest of the true frogs on the Korean Peninsula, and has been hunted for food and used as an experimental animal.
The dark-spotted frog is a relatively low-altitude species, not being found above 2200 meters. It ranges across a variety of habitats, from deserts and brushland to meadows and forests, and is typically found in or near stagnant or slow-moving water. Although relatively tolerant of human interference, it is increasingly threatened by hunting and water pollution.
Adults are 6-9 centimeters in length, the females somewhat larger than the males. Males have a single pair of vocal sacs. Mating season occurs from April to June. The eggs are deposited in quantities of 1800 to 3000, and are laid in shallow water.
References
- Kuzmin, S., Maslova, I., Tuniyev, B., Matsui, M., Pipeng, L. & Kaneko, Y. (2004). Rana nigromaculata. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
- "참개구리". Naver Encyclopedia. http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=144697. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
This true frog article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
