rhacophorus (flying frog)-an evolutionary miracle

RHACOPHORUS (FLYING FROG)

-AN EVOLUTIONARY MIRACLE

By Pranjal Gupta

Bsc(H)Zoology

Ramjas College

CLASSIFICATION Phylum: Chordata

(Presence of notochord,nerve cord and pharyngeal gill slits)

Subphylum:Vertebrata

(vertebral column, distinct cranium, paired appendages, brain and spinal cord)

Superclass:Gnathostomata

(Having true jaws and paired appendages)

Class:Amphibia

(Lives on both on land and in water, skin soft, slimy & naked, pentadactyl limbs without claws, respiration by integument, gills or lungs, 3 chambered heart, external ear absent, poikilotherm, skull dicondylic, external fertilization)

Subclass: Lissamphibia

(Modern amphibians without exoskeleton)

Order: Anura

(Pentadactylous unequal limbs,tail absent)

SO, HOW DOES A FLYING FROG LOOK LIKE ?

HABIT AND HABITAT

It is an arboreal amphibian.

It is quiet active during twilight.

It has power of rapid color change-protective coloration.

It is found prominently in Africa, South Eastern Asia, Japan and Madagascar.

India’s famous flying frog species is Malabar’s gliding frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus)

It is well known for building foam nest.

EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY

Webbed feet

(Pentadactyl)

Hind leg

Trunk

Cloaca

Fore limb

Adhesive disc

Intercalary

cartilage

Nostril

Tympanum

RHACOPHORUS:DISTINCT FEATURES

Body is slender. Belly narrows posteriorly.

Head broad and conical, eyes with eyelids.

Tympanum behind head.

Sexual dimorphism

Hind limbs contain intercalary cartilages

It leaps upto 6-10m in mid air from trees to escape

predators.

It builds foam nest.

These are carnivorous

GENERAL ANATOMY OF A FROG

SKELETON OF FROG-AN AID TO ITS ADAPTATION

AERODYNAMICS & MANEUVERABILITY

Source: MICHAEL G. MCCAY University of California – Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology

REPRODUCTION

Small male climbs on the female’s back, grasps it by its front legs

& externally fertilize it(Amplexus). After this, female forms

a foam nest above shallow water and lay eggs which is protected by

male. Some species are phytotelm breeders.

DEVELOPMENT

R.vampyrus tadpole has fangs

An unusual friendship between Wallace’s Tree frog and African land Snail. Pictures

captured by Hendy MP in Sambas, Indonesia.

SOMETHING INTERESTING…

THREATS &CONSERVATION

Deforestation and further

degradation of rainforest

habitat constitute the most

significant threats. Agro-

industry farming also

contributes to it.

It occurs in a number of

protected areas. Safeguarding

the integrity of protected areas

is a primary objective which

includes land & water

management.

Data according the IUCN

Red list.

COMPARATIVE EVOLUTION OF FLYING FROGS

• It Parachutes through air.

• It belongs to family hylidae

Golden Tree frog(Polypedates leucomystax)

• It Paraglides through air.

• It belongs to family hylidae

Javan Tree frog(Litoria javana)

• It is an example of aeronautical perfection in anurans.

• It belongs to family Rhacophoridae.

Wallace’s flying frog

(Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)

THANK YOU