Kachin torrent frog
| Kachin torrent frog | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Amolops |
| Species: | A. afghanus
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| Binomial name | |
| Amolops afghanus (Günther, 1858)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Kachin torrent frog (Amolops afghanus) is a species of true frog native to Myanmar.[3]
Description
[edit]Kachin torrent frog is an obscure species and not much is known about it. However, from preserved specimens and written descriptions, it is known that it is a medium-sized, sometimes slender frog with a broad head. According to the original author, Albert Günther, the skin is smooth,[4] but observations from iNaturalist depict multiple individuals with small knobs on the dorsal side. Furthermore, they are dark green with a dark, mottled pattern on their dorsal side. They also have dark, mottled, or clear bands on their limbs, which vary by observation. The ventral side appears to be light.[5] The species shows clear sexual dimorphism in size. Females have an SVL of around 8 cm (3 in), while males have an SVL of around 5 cm (2 in).[3]
History and etymology
[edit]Kachin torrent frog was originally described briefly in 5 lines of text in 1858, where it was put in the genus Polypedates. The original author, Albert Günther, wrote that it was found in Afghanistan, and thus came the name.[4] In 1865, it was then transferred to the genus Amolops by Edward Drinker Cope and got the name Amolops afghanus, which is the current designation. In 1879, a new species was discovered and it was called Ixalus kakhienensis, but it was later discovered that it was the existing species Amolops afghanus. In 1882, it was transferred to the genus Rana, where it remained for around 58 years until it was transferred to the genus Staurois.[6] In 1966, the species was transferred for the last time by Robert F. Inger to the genus Amolops, and the species name was changed to afghanus once again. It belongs to the genus Amolops because of a certain trait in the tadpole[which?] that indicated that it was in reality a member of Amolops.[7]
The common name comes from the fact that specimens have been collected from Kachin, Myanmar.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2023). "Amolops afghanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T47005914A47005919. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T47005914A47005919.en.
- ^ "Amolops afghanus". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Dever, Jennifer; Fuiten, Allison; Konu, Ozlen; Wilkinson, Jeffery (March 2012). "Cryptic Torrent Frogs of Myanmar: An Examination of the Amolops marmoratusSpecies Complex with the Resurrection of Amolops afghanus and the Identification of a New Species". Copeia: 13.
- ^ a b Günther, Albert (1858). "Neue Batrachier in der Sammlung des Britischen Museums" (PDF). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Citizen science observations for Amolops afghanus at iNaturalist
- ^ "Amolops afghanus (Günther, 1858)". Amphibian Species of the World. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Inger, Robert (1966). "THE SYSTEMATICS AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE AMPHIBIA OF BORNEO". Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Lyu, Zhi-Tong; Zeng, Zhao-Chi; Wan, Han; Yang, Jian-Huan; Li, Yu-Long; Pang, Hong; Wang, Ying-Yong (2019-05-23). "A new species of Amolops (Anura: Ranidae) from China, with taxonomic comments on A. liangshanensis and Chinese populations of A. marmoratus". Zootaxa. 4609 (2): 254. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4609.2.3. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 31717106.