Rhacophorus (flying frog)-An evolutionary miracle
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Transcript of 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