Vampyrius
| Rhacophorus vampyrus | |
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| Species: | R. vampyrus
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhacophorus vampyrus (Jodi J. L. Rowley, Lê Thị Thùy Dương, Trần Thị Anh Đào, Bryan L. Stuart, Hoàng Đức Huy, 2010)
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Rhacophorus vampyrus is a medium sized species of flying frog (in the genus Rhacophorus) native to Vietnam.[1] It is found in montane evergreen forests at 1470–2004 m.[1] It is also known as the Vampire tree frog[1] or the Vampire flying frog[2][3][4] because of the presence of a pair of fang-like hooks in mouth of the tadpole stage.[4] Rhacophorus vampyrus is known as Ếch cây ma cà rồng in Vietnamese.[1]
Description[1]
Rhacophorus vampyrus can grow to 4.5 cm.[3] The back of Rhacophorus vampyrus is pale copper brown with fainter dark brown mottling. The chest and belly are white with a very small amount of black mottling at the edge of the chest. The upper surface of arms and legs are copper brown with diffuse dark brown barring. The upper surface of the hands and feet are copper brown which fades to pinkish cream or grey at the fingers and toes. The lower surface of the hands and feet are pale grey. The upper surface of webbing of the hands and feet is dark grey to black in colour. The lower surface is grey. Rhacophorus vampyrus has pale yellow/gold irises with a small rim of blue.
Distribution[1]
The exact distribution of this species in unknown. Currently members have only been found inside Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park, although scientists believe the frogs are likely to be found at least on the Langbian Plateau, specifically in Chu Yang Sin National Park and Phuoc Binh National Park.[1]
Life cycle
Rhacophorus vampyrus lays its eggs in small water filled tree holes 0.3-1.2m above the ground. The eggs are laid in foam nests. The tadpoles are long and dark brown in colour. Their tail is about three times as long as their body. They have a pair of hooks on the lower lips of their mouth which project away from the mouth.[1] The species is named after these unusual "fangs", the function of which is currently unknown.[4] Researchers have speculated that they may be used for hunting[3] or breaking in to unfertilised eggs laid around the tadpoles providing the young with an extra food source.[4] They may also be used to cling on to the sides of tree hollows in which they are laid.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "A new tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Vietnam" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2727: 45-55. 2010.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ "Vampire flying frog found in Vietnam". ABC News. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d Ben Cubby (7 January 2011). "Frog's scary name is worse than its bite". The Age. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d Charles Choi (7 January 2011). ""Vampire Flying Frog" Found; Tadpoles Have Black Fangs". National Geographic. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
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