Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

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numpty
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Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by numpty »

Hello again.

Just thought I'd continue with some photos of frogs I've seen in Taiwan. I already posted a bunch of snaps of tree frogs, so this bunch will be sundry terrestrial species. Oh, and a couple of salamanders as well.

A lot of the species here might be familiar under different names, and a lot have been placed in new genera in recent years. I'm no taxonomist, but come on guys ... make up your minds!


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Duttaphryna melanosticus, or do you all still call it Bufo? (Taxonomists, etc, etc ...!) Anyway, it's the Spectacled Toad, common throughout Asia. They get pretty big.


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Bufo bankorensis, the Central Formosan Toad. Endemic to Taiwan. Huge, and fearless. Or else just stupid. These guys will go chasing after me and jump right into my legs when I'm out at night. Endemic.


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Not sure which one this is, but if I had to guess I'd say it's a juvenile Rana sauteri, or at least that it belongs to the rather murky complex that sauteri is a part of. This was taken a couple of years ago in Taroko Gorge (where I'm not even sure if sauteri is supposed to live). Anyone have any ideas?


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Hylarana latouchii, or Latouch's frog. Very common in city parks and the like, where in the breeding season it can be heard grumbling and wheezing by the edges of ponds or streams.


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Odorrana swinhoana. A pretty one, I think. Nice markings on the back. Calls like a bird, and not a bad climber from what I've seen. Endemic.


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Hylarana guentheri. Very common in the city, seeming to inhabit every available pond. Calls like a barking dog, but sometimes a wee bit tricky to see. At last the breeding season seems to be over, so I can't hear the frogs in the neighbourhood ponds calling all night and day any more.


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Fejervarya limnocharis. Common throughout Asia, though it seems to be part of a rather ill-defined complex which may be split further in future. And if this happens, I guess I'll have to drag myself out and photograph all the new "species".


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Limnonectes kuhlii. Another common Asian frog, notable for having fangs, apparently. And a big head. A terrible picture, for which I apologise.


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Babina adenopleura, the olive frog. Makes a variety of calls ... duck honks ... Roadrunner beeps ...


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Microhyla heymonsi. One of the smaller, if not the smallest, of Taiwan's frogs. Only lives in the southern parts of the island. These were in Kaohsiung, and easily found because the leaves were big and loosely scattered, but other nights they were almost impossible to see despite being everywhere, and deafeningly loud.


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Microhyla fissipes. Like M. heymonsi these make an incredibly loud snoring noise when they call, which makes it all the more frustrating when you can't find them under their leaves. I didn't want to bother this guy any more after digging away at his leaf litter, so settled for this fuzzy shot. (The differences between this species and M. ornata, the ornate narrow-mouthed frog, seem a bit arbitrary to me. Anybody have any clarifications?)


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Pelophylax fukienensis. The green pond frog. As the name says, it's green and it lives in ponds. Confusingly, sometimes called Rana plancyi.


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Hynobius sonani, one of five (at last count) species of salamander in Taiwan, all endemic, and all inconveniently located high in the Central Mountains. These were at around 3000 metres a.s.l..

Thanks for looking!
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

HOO-ah! Where exactly did you find the sallies?
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numpty
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by numpty »

Hi Hans,

The salamanders were near Siaofongkou, on the road between Dayuling and the Hehuan Service Station, not far from the trailhead for the hike up Hehuan North Peak. I knew they were in that general vicinity, and was intending to just ramble the hills and forests looking for them, but then was lucky enough to bump into some zoology students visiting the Endemic Species Research Institute up there. They were kind enough to point me in a more specific direction.

I was pretty damned chuffed to see them on, I think, my third log lifted.
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Thanks! I've been along that road many times, but never stopped for salamanders..
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Robyn@TRR
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Robyn@TRR »

Terrific photos!
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Kevin Messenger
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Kevin Messenger »

Great shot of the Odorrana! - gorgeous specimen

I am SO JEALOUS of those salamanders!! When I was in Taiwan, that was a big goal of mine, but we apparently would have had to drive an additional 2 hrs south. Just not enough time.

Awesome
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numpty
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by numpty »

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Too bad you didn't have time to look for salamanders, Kevin, though from the quick glance I've had at your posts it looks like you found some nice ones in China. (Looking forward to the rest of your posts, by the way.) And I'm always in envy of the variety of salamanders you have in the US! Anyway, I hope to get out again in a month or so and have a poke around for some of the other Hynobius species.
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MaartenSFS
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by MaartenSFS »

It's funny that you post these frog images. Kevin and I were just looking at some of my frogs from last summer yesterday (on the mainland) with the same problem. They ended up being Rana [Hylarana] latouchii and Rana zhenhaiensis (though it looks identical to sauteri). I suspect that most of these frog genus' will split up. The Chinese scientists are somehow too progressive in this case and adapt the new names for everything. I wish that everyone would just come to a consensus. For now, though, in Kevin I trust. :)
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

MaartenSFS wrote:I wish that everyone would just come to a consensus.
And end the global taxonomy wars, thus denying us our main source of entertainment? Are you MAD????

Hans, reaching for the popcorn
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Mike VanValen
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Re: Some frogs in Taiwan (part 2)

Post by Mike VanValen »

Asian Amphibians :thumb:

I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate these kinds of posts. I've only heard of two of those species and the rest are new to me, and spectacular to see.
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