Wikipedia

Banded bullfrog

(Redirected from Chubby frog)

The banded bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) is a species of frog in the narrow-mouthed frog family Microhylidae. Native to Southeast Asia, it is also known as the Asian painted frog, digging frog, Malaysian bullfrog, common Asian frog, and painted balloon frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. Adults measure 5.4 to 7.5 cm (2.1 to 3.0 in) and have a dark brown back with stripes that vary from copper-brown to salmon pink.

Banded bullfrog
Calls of several banded bullfrogs
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Kaloula
Species:
K. pulchra
Binomial name
Kaloula pulchra
(Gray, 1831)
  Banded bullfrog range[1]

The banded bullfrog lives at low altitudes and is found in both urban and rural settings, as well as in forest habitats. They bury themselves underground during dry periods and emerge after heavy rainfall to emit calls and breed. They feed primarily on ants and termites; predators of adults and tadpoles include snakes, dragonfly larvae, and snails. When threatened, they inflate their lungs and secrete a noxious white substance. The species is prevalent in the pet trade and is a potential invasive species being introduced in Taiwan, the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Borneo, and Sulawesi.

Taxonomy and etymology

edit

The banded bullfrog was first described in 1831 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray, as Kaloula pulchra (pulchra meaning "beautiful" in Latin).[2] Cantor (1847) described the species under the name Hylaedactylus bivittatus,[3] which was synonymized with K. pulchra by Günther (1858).[4] The subspecies K. p. hainana was described by Gressitt (1938) as having a shorter snout and hind legs compared to the nominate subspecies, K. p. pulchra.[5] A former subspecies in Sri Lanka, originally named K. p. taprobanica by Parker (1934), has since been reclassified as a separate species, Uperodon taprobanicus.[6] Bourret (1942) described a subspecies K. p. macrocephala that is now considered by several authors to be a distinct species, K. macrocephala.[7][8][9]

According to Darrel Frost's Amphibian Species of the World, common names for Kaloula pulchra include the Malaysian narrowmouth toad, Asian painted frog, digging frog, painted bullfrog, Malaysian bullfrog, painted burrowing frog, common Asian bullfrog, painted balloon frog, and painted microhylid frog.[10] It is also known as the chubby frog in the pet trade.[11]

Description

edit

The banded bullfrog is medium-sized with a stocky, triangular body and a short snout.[12][13] Males grow to a snout–vent length (SVL) of 5.4 to 7.0 cm (2.1 to 2.8 in) and females are slightly larger, reaching an SVL of 5.7 to 7.5 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in). Other than the slight difference in length, there is very limited sexual dimorphism.[14] They have a body weight of 80–120 g (2.8–4.2 oz).[15] The back is dark brown with stripes that vary from copper-brown to salmon pink, and the abdomen is cream-colored.[12][16]

Tadpoles are about 0.5 cm (0.20 in) long after hatching and reach an SVL of about 1.1 cm (0.43 in) at the end of metamorphosis. They have an oval body that is brown or black with a pale belly, a round snout, and a moderately long, tapered tail with yellow speckles and tall fins. The eyes are relatively small and the side of the head, with black or dark gray irises and a golden ring around the pupil. They do not possess any tail filament.[17] During metamorphosis, their eyes increase in size and bulge and they develop slender limbs and digits with rounded tips.[18] The tadpoles metamorphose beginning at two weeks.[19]

Distribution and habitat

edit
 
Juvenile banded bullfrog in a drop of water on a sacred lotus leaf, in Laos

The species is native to Southeast Asia.[20] It is common over a range from northeastern India,[21] and Nepal,[22] to southern India and Sri Lanka[22] to southern China[21][22] (especially Hainan) and Myanmar,[22] and south to the islands of maritime Southeast Asia.[21][23][22] Its wide distribution, compared to the related species Kaloula assamensis, has been attributed to its burrowing ability.[24]

The banded bullfrog has been found at elevations between sea level and 750 m (2,460 ft) above sea level.[1] It can occur in both urban and rural settings, and in forest habitats.[25]

As an invasive species

edit

The banded bullfrog is a potential invasive species. It has been introduced through both the pet trade and maritime transport, and has become established in Taiwan, the Philippines,[26] Guam,[27] Singapore, Borneo, and Sulawesi.[22][28] Some specimens have been observed in Australia and New Zealand.[28][29][30] Its introduction into the Philippines was likely accidental, via contamination of plant nursery materials or stowaways on ships and boats.[20]

Several species, likely introduced through the pet trade, were observed in Florida in 2006 and 2008; however, as of 2011, the population is under control and there is no evidence of reproduction.[31] The frog was observed at an airport in Perth, Australia, and at a cargo port in New Zealand, but no established invasive population has been found in either country as of 2019.[32]

Behaviour and ecology

edit
 
Banded bullfrogs are capable swimmers.

Breeding is stimulated by heavy monsoon rains, after which the frogs relocate from underground to rain pools or ponds.[23][33] They are more commonly found on wetter nights, and while they are not reproductively active during dry periods, their gonads remain ripe so that they can mate soon after rainfall.[33] In India, the male frogs call after the monsoon season begins in April or May. The pulses of the calls recorded in India were 28–56 per second with a frequency range of 50–1760 Hz. In Thailand the dominant frequency was 250 Hz (duration 560–600 ms long) and 18–21 pulses per call.[34]

Their form is suited for walking and burrowing rather than jumping.[35] They are able to survive dry conditions by burying themselves in the ground and waiting for rain; the burrowing also helps them avoid predators. When burrowing they dig their way down hindlimb first and use their forelimbs to push themselves several inches under the soil, where they can remain for the duration of the dry season.[18][24] Banded bullfrogs hide under leaf litter during the daylight hours and eat in the evening. They have been found in trees and have been observed hunting termites in them.[36]

Diet, predators, and parasites

edit

In the wild, the banded bullfrog primarily eats ants and termites.[36] It also feeds on other small invertebrates including flies, crickets, moths, grasshoppers, and earthworms.[37] Its relatively small head and mouth mostly limit its diet to small and slow-moving prey.[37][38] The feeding cycle from opening of the mouth to closing is about 150 milliseconds and is relatively symmetrical, meaning that the bullfrog spends an equal amount of time extending its tongue and bringing the prey into the mouth.[39] Banded bullfrogs kept as pets can be fed insects such as crickets, mealworms, insect larvae, and beetles.[11]

Snakes such as the kukri snake are predators of adult banded bullfrogs.[25] For eggs and tadpoles, predators include dragonfly larvae and snails such as the golden apple snail.[40][41] Banded bullfrogs display deimatic behaviour when threatened, greatly inflating their bodies in an attempt to distract or startle predators.[13] By inflating its body and bending its head down, the bullfrog can appear larger than its actual size.[24] It also secretes a noxious white substance through its skin that is distasteful, though non-toxic, to predators.[42][43] The secretion contains a trypsin inhibitor and can induce hemolysis (rupturing of red blood cells).[15][42]

Parasites include parasitic worms that have been found in the frog's intestinal mesentery and leeches that attach to the frog's back.[12][44]

Pet trade

edit
 
An inflated banded bullfrog

Commonly sold in pet stores, banded bullfrogs thrive in terrariums with substrate choices consisting of peat–soil mixes or moss mixtures.[11][45] In contrast to the ant and termite diets of wild bullfrogs, captive bullfrogs typically feed on slightly larger insects such as crickets or mealworms.[11]

A survey of internet pet trade listings between 2015 and 2018 in Europe and the United States found that there were three to four times as many offers as requests for the banded bullfrog, with no evidence of captive breeding.[46] In the Philippines, traders collect the frogs locally. Low interest in the Philippine pet trade has been attributed to the bullfrog's muted colours and burrowing behavior.[47] Máximo and colleagues hypothesize that the species has been illegally sold in South America for decades, based on identifications in Argentina during the 1980s and in Brazil in 2020.[48]

Conservation status

edit

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species as least concern due to its extensive distribution, tolerance of a wide range of environments, and predicted large population.[1] In many regions, the banded bullfrog is captured for consumption, but this does not appear to have a substantial impact on its population.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Kuangyang L, Zhigang Y, Haitao S, et al. (2016) [errata version of 2004 assessment]. "Kaloula pulchra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57855A86163405. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57855A11694615.en.
  2. ^ Gray JE (1831). "Description of two new genera of Frogs discovered by John Reeves, Esq. in China". The zoological miscellany: to be continued occasionally. London: Treuttel, Wurtz and Co., G.B. Sowerby, W. Wood. p. 38. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.113722. OCLC 2319292.
  3. ^ Cantor T (1847). Catalogue of reptiles inhabiting the Malayan peninsula and islands. Calcutta: J. Thomas. pp. 143–145. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.5057.
  4. ^ Günther A (1858). Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia in the collection of the British Museum. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 123. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.8326. OCLC 1098151.
  5. ^ Gressitt JL (1938). "A new burrowing frog and a new lizard from Hainan Island". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 51. Biological Society of Washington: 127–130 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. ^ Garg S, Senevirathne G, Wijayathilaka N, et al. (2018). "An integrative taxonomic review of the South Asian microhylid genus Uperodon". Zootaxa. 4384 (1): 1–88. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4384.1.1. PMID 29689915.
  7. ^ Bourret R (1942). Les batraciens de l'Indochine. Hanoi: L'Institut océanographique de l'Indochine. pp. 490–491. OCLC 715507054.
  8. ^ Pauwels OS, Chérot F (2006). "Translation of the original description of Kaloula aureata Nutphand, 1989 (Anura: Microhylidae), with lectotype designation". Hamadryad. 30 (1–2): 172–175. ISSN 0972-205X.
  9. ^ Mo Y, Zhang W, Zhou S, et al. (2013). "A new species of Kaloula (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from southern Guangxi, China". Zootaxa. 3710 (2): 165–178. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3710.2.3. PMID 26106681.
  10. ^ Frost D. "Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831". Amphibian Species of the World. American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Willis AT (2014). "Asian Painted Bullfrog Care". Reptiles. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Nakano T, Sung YH (2014). "A New Host Record for Tritetrabdella taiwana (Hirudinida: Arhynchobdellida: Haemadipsidae) from the Asian Painted Frog Kaloula pulchra (Anura: Microhylidae) in Hong Kong, China, with a Taxonomic Note on T. taiwana". Comparative Parasitology. 81 (1): 125–129. doi:10.1654/4667.1.
  13. ^ a b Shahrudin S (2021). "Defensive behavior of Banded Bullfrogs, Kaloula pulchra Gray 1831 (Anura: Microhylidae) from Kedah, peninsular Malaysia". Reptiles & Amphibians. 28 (1): 139–141. doi:10.17161/randa.v28i1.15371. S2CID 237993916.
  14. ^ Ruiz-Fernández MJ, Jiménez S, Fernández-Valle E, et al. (2020). "Sex Determination in Two Species of Anuran Amphibians by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound Techniques". Animals. 10 (11): 2142. doi:10.3390/ani10112142. PMC 7698606. PMID 33217993.
  15. ^ a b Wei S, Chi T, Meng A, et al. (2013). "Characteristics of hemolytic activity induced by skin secretions of the frog Kaloula pulchra hainana". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 19 (9): 9. doi:10.1186/1678-9199-19-9. PMC 3710140. PMID 24499077.
  16. ^ Bhattacharjee PP, Laskar D, Majumder J, et al. (2011). "Sighting of Asian Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra) from West Bhubanban (near Agartala city), West Tripura district, Tripura". NeBIO. 2 (1): 18–19.
  17. ^ Bowles P. "Asian Banded Bullfrog". The Online Field Guide. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  18. ^ a b Vassilieva AB (2021). "Larval morphology of three syntopic species of Kaloula Gray (Anura: Microhylidae) from Vietnam". Zootaxa. 4952 (1): 71–86. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4952.1.4. PMID 33903379. S2CID 233411516.
  19. ^ Bartlett RD, Bartlett PP (1996). Frogs, toads, and treefrogs: everything about selection, care, nutrition, breeding, and behavior. Hauppage, NY: Barron's Educational Series. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-8120-9156-4. OCLC 859029562.
  20. ^ a b Pili AN, Sy EY, Diesmos ML, et al. (2019). "Island Hopping in a Biodiversity Hotspot Archipelago: Reconstructed Invasion History and Updated Status and Distribution of Alien Frogs in the Philippines". Pacific Science. 73 (3): 321–343. doi:10.2984/73.3.2. S2CID 198980047.
  21. ^ a b c Christy MT, Clark CS, Gee DE, et al. (2007). "Recent Records of Alien Anurans on the Pacific Island of Guam". Pacific Science. 61 (4): 469–483. doi:10.2984/1534-6188(2007)61[469:RROAAO]2.0.CO;2. hdl:10125/22630. S2CID 64769647.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Lever, Christopher (2003). Naturalized reptiles and amphibians of the world. Oxford, New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-19-850771-0. OCLC 52055624.
  23. ^ a b Yeung HY (2021). "Heterospecific Amplexus Between a Male Paddy Frog, Fejervarya multistriata (Hallowell 1861) (Anura: Dicroglossidae), and a Male Banded Bullfrog, Kaloula pulchra Gray 1831 (Anura: Microhylidae), from Hong Kong". Reptiles & Amphibians. 28 (2): 350–351. doi:10.17161/randa.v28i2.15471. S2CID 237846195.
  24. ^ a b c Soud R, Mazumdar K, Gupta A, et al. (2012). "Defensive and burrowing behaviour of Kaloula assamensis Das et al., 2004 and Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831 (Microhylidae)" (PDF). Frog Leg. 18: 48–50.
  25. ^ a b Bringsøe H, Suthanthangjai M, Suthanthangjai W, et al. (2021). "Gruesome twosome kukri rippers: Oligodon formosanus (Günther, 1872) and O. fasciolatus (Günther, 1864) eat Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831 either by eviscerating or swallowing whole". Herpetozoa. 34: 49–55. doi:10.3897/herpetozoa.34.e62688. S2CID 233264132.
  26. ^ Brown RM, Oliveros CH, Siler CD, Fernandez JB, Welton LJ, Buenavente PA, Diesmos ML, Diesmos AC (2012). "Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island (Philippines), VII: Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, Northern Cordillera Mountain Range". Check List. 8 (3): 469–490. doi:10.15560/8.3.469. hdl:1808/10745. S2CID 18375419.
  27. ^ Christy MT, Savidge JA, Rodda GH (2007). "Multiple pathways for invasion of anurans on a Pacific island". Diversity and Distributions. 13 (5): 598–607. Bibcode:2007DivDi..13..598C. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00378.x. S2CID 85628306.
  28. ^ a b Tyler M, Chapman T (2007). "An Asian species of frog (Kaloula pulchra, Microhylidae) intercepted at Perth International Airport, Australia". Applied Herpetology. 4 (1): 86–87. doi:10.1163/157075407779766697.
  29. ^ Gill BJ, Bejakovich D, Whitaker AH (2001). "Records of foreign reptiles and amphibians accidentally imported to New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 28 (3): 351–359. doi:10.1080/03014223.2001.9518274. S2CID 85031652.
  30. ^ Inger RF (1966). The systematics and zoogeography of the amphibia of Borneo. Fieldiana: Zoology vol. 52. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3147.
  31. ^ Krysko KL, Burgess JP, Rochford MR, et al. (2011). "Verified non-indigenous amphibians and reptiles in Florida from 1863 through 2010: Outlining the invasion process and identifying invasion pathways and stages". Zootaxa. 3028 (1): 22–23. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3028.1.1.
  32. ^ Fuller P, Howell RS (2019). "Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831". Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  33. ^ a b Berry PY (1964). "The Breeding Patterns of Seven Species of Singapore Anura". Journal of Animal Ecology. 33 (2): 227–243. Bibcode:1964JAnEc..33..227B. doi:10.2307/2629. JSTOR 2629.
  34. ^ Kanamadi RD, Kadadevaru GG, Schneider H (2002). "Advertisement Call and Breeding Period of the Frog, Kaloula pulchra (Microhylidae)" (PDF). Herpetological Review. 33 (1): 19–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2012.
  35. ^ Emerson SB (1976). "Burrowing in frogs". Journal of Morphology. 149 (4): 437–458. doi:10.1002/jmor.1051490402. PMID 30257534. S2CID 52845429.
  36. ^ a b Major T, Knierim T, Barnes C, et al. (2017). "Observations of Arboreality in a Burrowing Frog, the Banded Bullfrog, Kaloula pulchra (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae)". Current Herpetology. 36 (2): 148–152. doi:10.5358/hsj.36.148. S2CID 89688886.
  37. ^ a b Jabon KJ, Gamalo LE, Responte M, et al. (2019). "Density and diet of invasive alien anuran species in a disturbed landscape: A case in the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines". Biodiversitas. 20 (9): 2554–2560. doi:10.13057/biodiv/d200917. S2CID 210965629.
  38. ^ Berry PY (1965). "The diet of some Singapore Anura (Amphibia)". Journal of Zoology. 144 (2): 163–167. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1965.tb05171.x.
  39. ^ Emerson SB (1985). "Skull Shape in Frogs: Correlations with Diet". Herpetologica. 41 (2): 177–188. JSTOR 3892256.
  40. ^ Karraker NE, Dudgeon D (2014). "Invasive apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) are predators of amphibians in South China". Biological Invasions. 16 (9): 1785–1789. Bibcode:2014BiInv..16.1785K. doi:10.1007/s10530-014-0640-2. S2CID 14701893.
  41. ^ Karraker NE (2011). "Are toad tadpoles unpalatable: evidence from the behaviour of a predatory dragonfly in South China". Amphibia-Reptilia. 32 (3): 413–418. doi:10.1163/017353711X571892.
  42. ^ a b Zhang Y, Wang M, Wei S (2010). "Isolation and characterization of a trypsin inhibitor from the skin secretions of Kaloula pulchra hainana". Toxicon. 56 (4): 502–507. Bibcode:2010Txcn...56..502Z. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.05.006. PMID 20580731.
  43. ^ Evans CM, Brodie DE (1994). "Adhesive Strength of Amphibian Skin Secretions". Journal of Herpetology. 28 (4): 499–502. doi:10.2307/1564965. JSTOR 1564965.
  44. ^ Amin OM, Wongsawad C, Marayong T, Saehoong P, Suwattanacoupt S, Sey O (1998). "Sphaerechinorhynchus macropisthospinus sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Plagiorhynchidae) from Lizards, Frogs, and Fish in Thailand". Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington. 65 (2): 174–178.
  45. ^ Zimmermann E (1986). Breeding Terrarium Animals: Amphibians and Reptiles Care—Behavior—Reproduction. Translated by Friese UE. Neptune City, NJ: TFH Publications. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-86622-182-5.
  46. ^ Choquette RE, Angulo A, Bishop PJ, et al. (2020). "The Internet-Based Southeast Asia Amphibian Pet Trade" (PDF). Traffic Bulletin. 32 (2). Traffic: 68–76.
  47. ^ Sy EY (2014). "Checklist of Exotic Species in the Philippine Pet Trade, I. Amphibians" (PDF). Journal of Nature Studies. 13 (1): 48–57.
  48. ^ Máximo IM, Brandão RA, Ruggeri J, et al. (2021). "Amphibian Illegal Pet Trade and a Possible New Case of an Invasive Exotic Species in Brazil" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 16 (2): 303–312.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Banded_bullfrog&oldid=1235384135"