Zhangixalus arboreus

species of amphibian

The forest green tree frog or Kinugasa flying frog (Zhangixalus arboreus) is a frog. It lives in Japan on Honshu Island. People have seen it between 10 and 2350 meters above sea level.[2][3][1]

Zhangixalus arboreus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Zhangixalus
Species:
Z. arboreus
Binomial name
Zhangixalus arboreus
(Okada and Kawano, 1924)
Synonyms[2]
  • Polypedates schlegelii var. arborea Okada and Kawano, 1924
  • Polypedates schlegelii var. intermedia Okada and Kawano, 1924
  • Rhacophorus schlegelii var. arborea Okada, 1928
  • Rhacophorus schlegelii var. intermedia Okada, 1928
  • Rhacophorus arborea Kawamura, 1962
  • Rhacophorus (Rhacophorus) arboreus Dubois, 1987
  • Zhangixalus arboreus Jiang, Jiang, Ren, Wu, and Li, 2019

The adult male frog is about 42-60 mm long from nose to rear end and the adult female frog is about 59-82 mm long. They have more webbed skin on their front feet than on their back feet. The skin of the frog's back is bright green. It can have spots. The skin of the frog's belly is white with brown spots. The iris of the eye is red-brown in color.[3]

This frog lives in trees and on the ground near dead leaves. It lives in forests in low places and on mountains.[3][1]

When it is time to lay eggs, the female frog makes a nest out of foam and then puts hundreds of eggs in the nest. She makes the nest over water of a paddy field or pond. The male frog fertilizes the eggs. Then the foam becomes hard.[3] When the eggs hatch, they fall into the water below. When the tadpoles become frogs, they go into the forest.[1]

Human beings visiting the part of Honshu where the frog lives come to its ponds to watch it. They do this for fun.[3]

Scientists say this frog is not in danger of dying out because it lives in a large place. Some people say they have seen it in Hokkaido, but scientists are not sure if the frogs live there or if these were people's pets who got outside.[1]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2021). "Forest Green Tree Frog: Zhangixalus arboreus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 3.1. p. e.T58973A177226592. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T58973A177226592.en. 58973. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Frost, Darrel R. "Zhangixalus arboreus (Okada and Kawano, 1924)". Amphibian Species of the World, an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Peera Chantasirivisal (October 13, 2005). Kellie Whittaker; Michelle S. Koo (eds.). "Zhangixalus arboreus (Okada & Kawano, 1924)". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved April 15, 2023.