Torrent frogs are a number of unrelated frogs that prefer to inhabit small rapid-flowing mountain or hill streams with a lot of torrents. They are generally smallish neobatrachians with a greyish-brown and usually darkly mottled back, giving them excellent camouflage among wet rocks overgrown with algae; their well-developed feet make them agile climbers of slippery rocks.
Torrent frogs belong to the following taxa:
- The "torrent frogs" of Asia are certain species in various ranoid genera: Amolops, Huia, Odorrana (all Ranidae), Micrixalus, (Micrixalidae) and Nanorana (Dicroglossidae).
- The "torrent frogs" of Africa are the genera Arthroleptides, Petropedetes (both family Petropedetidae) and Odontobatrachus (Odontobatrachidae), which are found in eastern Africa, central Africa and western Africa, respectively.[1]
- The "torrent frogs" of Australia are the genus Taudactylus of the Australian ground frog family (Myobatrachidae).
- The torrent treefrog (Litoria nannotis) of Australia is in the tree frog family (Hylidae)
See also
References
- ↑ Barej, M. F.; Rödel, M. O.; Loader, S. P.; Menegon, M.; Gonwouo, N. L.; Penner, J.; Gvoždík, V. C.; Günther, R.; Bell, R. C.; Nagel, P.; Schmitz, A. (2014). "Light shines through the spindrift – Phylogeny of African torrent frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Petropedetidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 71: 261–73. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.001. PMID 24239613.
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