True frog

(Ranidae)

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Ranidae

Thumbnail description
Small to large firmisternal aquatic or terrestrial frogs with a toothed upper jaw and cylindrical sacral diapophyses, without intercalary elements between penultimate and terminal phalanges of the digits

Size
0.4–12.6 in (10–320 mm)

Number of genera, species
51 genera; 686 species

Habitat
Ranids live in a variety of habitats, including tropical, subtropical, and temperate forests; savannas; grasslands; deserts; and high-elevation sites

Conservation status
Extinct: 3 species; Critically Endangered: 7 species; Endangered: 6 species; Vulnerable: 14 species; Lower Risk/Near Threatened: 4 species; Data Deficient: 12 species

Distribution
Ranids occur throughout the Old World (Eurasia, Africa), on most western Pacific islands, and in northern Australia, North America, and the northern part of South America; absent in the Pacific east of Fiji, in Madagascar (except as introduced), and on numerous isolated oceanic islands

Evolution and systematics

Ranid fossils are known reliably only since the Eocene of Europe, but the fossil record is of little help for the reconstruction of the early history of the group. Although it seems clear that the group is Gondwanan, current evidence does not allow unambiguous distinction between an Asian or an African origin. Molecular data from mitochondrial genes and a few nuclear genes suggest the existence of a monophyletic group (called by some researchers the "epifamily Ranoidae" of the "superfamily Ranoidea") made up of two monophyletic subgroups generally treated as families (Mantellidae and Rhacophoridae) and a third subgroup, the Ranidae, the monophyly of which is highly questionable. The latter subgroup contains several groups that are treated herein as subfamilies or tribes.

Five of these groups (Cacosterninae, Conrauini, Petropedetinae, Ptychadeninae, Pyxicephalinae) seem to be endemic to tropical and southern Africa, and nine (Ceratobatrachini, Limnonectini, Paini, Lankanectinae, Micrixalinae, Nyctibatrachinae, Occidozyginae, Amolopini, Ranixalinae) are endemic to the Oriental region. A fifteenth group (Dicroglossini) is distributed in both regions, and a sixteenth (Ranini) is present in those two regions as well as the Holarctic and the northern parts of South America and Australia.

Most ranids have 13 pairs of chromosomes, but various species have different numbers of chromosomes. Besides the generalized development in water through a tadpole stage, various kinds of direct development (endotrophy) have evolved independently in several clades. Much variation exists in the labial tooth-row formula besides the generalized and probably plesiomorphic formula of 2/3; a few groups, especially those with rheophilic tadpoles, have up to 14 rows on the anterior lip and 12 on the posterior lip; in a few genera, labial teeth are absent on one or both lips.

The phylogenetic data currently available support the provisional recognition of eleven subfamilies, within some of which distinct tribes can be recognized.

Resources

Duellman, William E., and Linda Trueb. Biology of Amphibians. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986.

Passmore, N. I., and V. C. Carruthers. South African Frogs: A Complete Guide. Revised edition. Johannesburg, South Africa: Witwatersrand University Press, 1995.

Blommers-Schlösser, R. M. A. "Systematic Relationships of the Mantellinae Laurent, 1946 (Anura, Ranoidea)." Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution 5 (1993): 199–218.

Bossuyt, F., and M. C. Milinkovitch. "Convergent Adaptive Radiations in Madagascan and Asian Ranid Frogs Reveal Covariation between Larval and Adult Traits." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 97 (2000): 6585–6590.

Clarke, B. T. "Comparative Osteology and Evolutionary Relationships in the African Raninae (Anura Ranidae)." Monitore Zoologico Italiano (new series), supplement 15 (1981): 285–331.

Dubois, A. "Liste des Genres et Sous-genres Nominaux de Ranoidea (Amphibiens, Anoures) du Monde, avec Identification de Leurs Espèces-types: Conséquences Nomenclaturales." Monitore Zoologico Italiano (new series), supplement 15 (1981): 225–284. ——. "Notes sur la Classification des Ranidae (Amphibiens, Anoures)." Bulletin Mensuele de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon 61, no. 10 (1992): 305–352.

Emerson, S. B., R. F. Inger, and D. Iskandar. "Molecular Systematics and Biogeography of the Fanged Frogs of Southeast Asia." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 16 (2000): 131–142.

Kosuch, J., M. Vences, A. Dubois, A. Ohler, and W. Böhme. "Out of Asia: Mitochondrial DNA Evidence for an Oriental Origin of Tiger Frogs, Genus Hoplobatrachus." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 21 (2001): 398–407.

Marmayou, J., A. Dubois, A. Ohler, E. Pasquet, and A. Tillier. "Phylogenetic Relationships in the Ranidae: Independent Origin of Direct Development in the Genera Philautus and Taylorana." Comtes Rendus de l'Académie de Sciences Paris 323 (2000): 287–297.

Ohler, A., and A. Dubois. "Démonstration de l'Origine Indépendante des Ventouses Digitales dans Deux Lignées Phylogénétiques de Ranidae (Amphibiens, Anoures)." Comtes Rendus de l'Académie de Sciences Paris 309 (1989): 419–422.

Vences, Miguel, and F. Glaw. "When Molecules Claim for Taxonomic Changes: New Proposals on the Classifcation of Old World Treefrogs." Spixiana 24, no. 1 (2001): 85–92.

Vences, Miguel, Stefan Wanke, Gaetano Odierna, Joachim Kosuch, and Michael Veith. "Molecular and Karyological Data on the South Asian Ranid Genera Indirana, Nyctibatrachus and Nannophrys (Anura: Ranidae)." Hamadryad 25, no. 2 (2000): 75–82.

[Article by: Alain Dubois, Docteur d'Etat]

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: insectivorous usually semiaquatic web-footed amphibian with smooth moist skin and long hind legs
  Synonym: ranid

True frogs
Common Frog, Rana temporia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Amphibia
Subclass:	Lissamphibia
Order:	Anura
Suborder:	Neobatrachia
Superfamily:	Ranoidea
Family:	Ranidae Rafinesque, 1814
Subfamilies
Petropedetinae Raninae (but see text)
Synonyms
Ceratobatrachidae Dicroglossidae Micrixalidae Nyctibatrachidae Ptychadenidae Pyxicephalidae

The true frogs, family Ranidae, 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 America, northern South America, Europe, Asia, Madagascar, Africa and from the East Indies to New Guinea; the species native to Australia - the Australian Wood Frog (Hylarana daemelii) - is restricted to the far north.

Typically, true frogs are smooth, moist-skinned frogs, with large, powerful legs and extensively webbed feet. The true frogs vary greatly in size, ranging from small – such as the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) – to the largest frog in the world, the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath).

Many of the true frogs are aquatic or live close to water. Most species lay their eggs in the water and go through a tadpole stage. However, as with most families of frogs, there is large variation of habitat within the family. Those of the genus Tomopterna are burrowing frogs native to Africa and exhibit most of the characteristics common to burrowing frogs around the world. There are also arboreal species of true frogs, and the family includes some of the very few amphibians that can live in brackish water^[1].

Systematics

The subdivisions of the Ranidae are still a matter of dispute, although many are coming to an agreement. Most authors believe the subfamily Petropedetinae is actually a distinct family called Petropedetidae^[2]. The validity of the Cacosterninae is likewise disputed; they are usually merged in the Petropedetinae but when the latter are considered a distinct family the Cacosterninae are often awarded at least subspecific distinctness too, and sometimes split off entirely. Still, there is general agreement today that the Mantellidae, which were formerly considered another ranid subfamily, form a distinct family. There is also a recent trend to split off the forked-tongued frogs as distinct family Dicroglossidae again.

In addition, the delimitation and validity of several genera is in need of more research (though much progress has been made in the last years). Namely how the huge genus Rana is best split up requires some more study^[3]. While the splitting-off of several genera – like Pelophylax – is rather uncontroversial, the American bullfrogs formerly separated in Lithobates and groups like Babina or Nidirana represent far more disputed cases.^[4]

While too little of the vast diversity of true frogs has been subject to recent studies to say something definite, as of mid-2008 studies are ongoing and several lineages are recognizable, although recently there have been major discoveries, finding 132 new species, 129 of which were found in South America.:^[5]

• Genera like Nyctibatrachus, Staurois, and the complex around Euphlyctis, Hoplobatrachus, Nannophrys, Sphaerotheca and the paraphyletic Fejervarya are probably very ancient offshoots of the main Raninae lineage.
• Amolops has been delimited by and large as a monophyletic group.
• Odorrana and Rana plus some proposed minor genera (which probably ought to be included in the latter) form another group. However, the two genera are probably well distinct, though closely related.
• A group including Clinotarsus, Huia in the strict sense and Meristogenys
• An ill-defined assemblage of Babina, Glandirana, Hylarana, Pulchrana, Sanguirana, Sylvirana, as well as Hydrophylax and Pelophylax which are probably not monophyletic. It is likely that some groups will become clearer as more species are included in studies.

In how far past hybridization – a phenomenon known to be common and actually producting new species e.g. in Pelophylax – is obfuscating the phylogenetic signal of DNA sequence information is not known.

Genera

Unidentified Nyctibatrachus from Phanasad Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra: a member of an ancient lineage of true frogs

Ishikawa's Frog (Odorrana ishikawae), formerly placed in Rana which now contains a closely related branch

Bicolored Frog (Clinotarsus curtipes), related to Meristogenys and Huia proper.
It was also formerly in Rana, but is well distinct

• Afrana
• Allopaa Ohler & Dubois, 2006
• Amietia
• Amnirana
• Amolops
• Anhydrophryne
• Arthroleptella
• Arthroleptides
• Aubria
• Babina (sometimes included in Rana)
• Batrachylodes
• Cacosternum
• Ceratobatrachus
• Chaparana
• Chrysopaa Ohler & Dubois, 2006
• Clinotarsus Mivart 1869 (formerly in Rana, includes Nasirana)
• Conraua
• Dimorphognathus
• Discodeles
• Ericabatrachus
• Euphlyctis
• Fejervarya (formerly in Rana, paraphyletic)
• Fagayman
• Glandirana (formerly in Rana)
• Hildebrandtia
• Hoplobatrachus
• Huia (polyphyletic)
• Hydrophylax Fitzinger 1843 (formerly in Rana, polyphyletic)
• Hylarana Tschudi 1838 (formerly in Rana)
• Indirana
• Ingerana
• Lankanectes
• Lanzarana
• Limnonectes
• Meristogenys (might belong in Huia)
• Micrixalus
• Microbatrachella
• Minervarya
• Nannophrys
• Nanorana
• Natalobatrachus
• Nothophryne
• Nyctibatrachus
• Occidozyga
• Odorrana (formerly in Rana)
• Paa
• Palmatorappia
• Pelophylax Fitzinger 1843 (formerly in Rana, probably paraphyletic)
• Petropedetes
• Phrynobatrachus
• Phrynodon
• Platymantis
• Pseudoamolops
• Poyntonia
• Pterorana
• Ptychadena
• Pulchrana (formerly in Rana)
• Pyxicephalus
• Rana
• Sanguirana (formerly in Rana)
• Sphaerotheca
• Staurois
• Strongylopus
• Sylvirana Dubois 1992 (formerly in Rana)
• Tomopterna

Species

• Sanguirana sanguinea

Footnotes

1. ^ Gordon et al. (1961)
2. ^ Frost (2006)
3. ^ Hillis & Wilcox (2005), Pauly et al. (2009)
4. ^ Cai et al. (2007), Pauly et al. (2009)
5. ^ Cai et al. (2007), Kotaki et al. (2008), Stuart (2008)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ranidae

• Cai, Hong-xia; Che, Jing, Pang, Jun-feng; Zhao, Er-mi & Zhang, Ya-ping (2007): Paraphyly of Chinese Amolops (Anura, Ranidae) and phylogenetic position of the rare Chinese frog, Amolops tormotus. Zootaxa 1531: 49–55. PDF fulltext
• Cogger, H.G.; Zweifel, R.G. & Kirschner, D. (2004): Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians (2nd ed.). Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0
• Frost, Darrel R. (2006): Amphibian Species of the World Version 3 - Petropedetidae Noble, 1931. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Retrieved 2006-AUG-05.
• Frost, Darrel R. et al. (2006): The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Number 297. New York.
• Gordon, Malcolm S.; Schmidt-Nielsen, Knut & Kelly, Hamilton M. (1961): Osmotic Regulation in the Crab-Eating Frog (Rana cancrivora). J. Exp. Biol. 38(3): 659–678. PDF fulltext
• Hillis, D.M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42(2): 331–338. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.001 PDF fulltext
• Hillis, D.M. & Wilcox, T.P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PDF fulltext
• Kotaki, Manabu; Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Matsui, Masafumi; Khonsue, Wichase; Djong, Tjong Hon; Tandon, Manuj & Sumida, Masayuki (2008): Genetic Divergences and Phylogenetic Relationships Among the Fejervarya limnocharis Complex in Thailand and Neighboring Countries Revealed by Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes. Zool. Sci. 25(4): 381–390. doi:10.2108/zsj.25.381 (HTML abstract)
• Pauly, Greg B., Hillis, David M. & Cannatella, David C. (2009): Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. Herpetologica 65: 115-128. PDF fulltext
• Stuart, Bryan L. (2008): The phylogenetic problem of Huia (Amphibia: Ranidae). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 46(1): 49-60. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.09.016 PDF fulltext

External links

• Amphibian and Frogs of Peninsular Malaysia - Family Ranidae

v • d • e Extant anuran families by suborder Kingdom Animalia · Phylum Chordata · Subphylum Craniata · Superclass Tetrapoda · Class Amphibia Archaeobatrachia Ascaphidae · Bombinatoridae · Discoglossidae · Leiopelmatidae Mesobatrachia Megophryidae · Pelobatidae · Pelodytidae · Pipidae · Scaphiopodidae · Rhinophrynidae Neobatrachia Amphignathodontidae · Aromobatidae · Arthroleptidae · Brachycephalidae · Bufonidae · Centrolenidae · Dendrobatidae · Heleophrynidae · Hemisotidae · Hylidae · Hyperoliidae · Leptodactylidae · Mantellidae · Microhylidae · Myobatrachidae · Petropedetidae · Ranidae · Rhacophoridae · Rhinodermatidae · Sooglossidae

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