What frogs fly? Chinese flying frog or green copepod Description of the frog Rhacophorus arboreus

The flying frog, or scientifically the Javan copefrog (Rhacophorus reinwardtii), lives on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Banka (Southeast Asia). Settles in humid jungles, bamboo thickets, and is sometimes found in mountain forests. The Javan flying frog leads an arboreal lifestyle, which in many ways is similar to tree frogs, and descends to the ground only to reproduce. This amphibian is active at night, but rests during the day, falling into a state reminiscent of sleep. The diet of the flying frog includes insects and small invertebrates that live in the crowns of trees.

The characteristic features of the Javan copefrog are a wide, flat head and bulging yellow eyes with horizontal slits for the pupils. The body is slender, long legs with tenacious fingers help copepods to climb thin branches perfectly.

The Javan frog, like its other copepods, is strikingly colored: the back is emerald green, the abdomen is yellow or orange, in young individuals the swimming membranes and armpits are bright blue (they turn pale with age). The green color serves as excellent camouflage among the foliage. The length of adult Javan copepods does not exceed 7.5 cm.

The structure of the paws deserves special attention. The toes of the hind paws are greatly elongated due to additional cartilage between the penultimate and last phalanx. Each finger is equipped with a suction cup in the form of a round pad, and between the fingers there are highly developed swimming membranes. A skin rim stretches along the forearm and along the edge of the fifth toe of the hind legs. These adaptations allow the frog to fly, or rather, to make long-distance gliding jumps from branch to branch. During a jump, the amphibian spreads its fingers wide, inflates its body and easily glides down, deftly maneuvering in flight. The Javan copefrog can fly up to 12 meters.

In general, the Javan copefrog is not the only flying frog. Other species capable of flight live in the forests of Japan, India, Africa and the islands. Madagascar. The wisdom of gliding flight has been mastered not only by copepods, but also by other animals, including flying dragons (Draco volans) and some geckos.

The breeding season for Javan copepods is from January to August. During mating, the male climbs onto his girlfriend’s back and freezes for a long time, clasping her armpits with his front paws. Meanwhile, the female with the male on her back is looking for a suitable place to lay her eggs. Having found a suitable branch hanging over the water, it sits on it and begins to secrete thick mucus from the cloaca, which it whips into a thick foam with its hind legs. After this, the male slides back, clasping his girlfriend’s abdomen, encourages her to lay several eggs and fertilizes them with seminal fluid. The fertilized eggs sink into the foam, and the female secretes another portion of mucus, but this time she whips it together with the male. There are usually from 60 to 80 eggs in a clutch. Having fulfilled my marital duty, the male emerges from the foam, followed by the female. A lump of mucus envelops the leaves and twigs, and the dried crust protects the foam and eggs from drying out. Hatched tadpoles are collected in a small chamber at the bottom of the lump, where they wait heavy rain– water dissolves the foam nest and washes the tadpoles into the nearest body of water. Tadpoles grow and turn into frogs in the water. Young individuals move to trees, and in aquatic environment They return only to give life to a new generation.

Of course, it is too early to say that they have mastered the airspace. The so-called representatives of the copepod family are the only more or less flying frogs. They do not fly higher than tree crowns, but they do not cease to be amazing creatures.

If you look closely at copepods sitting on a branch of a tree, it will not be easy to guess that they are about to take off. After all, usually those who fly have wings or special organs that replace them. Flying frogs have nothing like this at all, but they still take off.

Flight technique

Copepods can easily be called glider frogs! Before flying, they inflate their body in a peculiar way, spread their fingers quite widely and stretch their swimming membranes, which in this family of amphibians have become flying membranes. Then the aeronaut frogs jump forward, positioning their legs so that without a shadow of a doubt they turn into a single plane.

It is worth noting that the design of this “ aircraft» copepods are very mediocre. For example, leopard flying frogs that live on the islands of the Malay Archipelago can quite easily cover a distance equal to 3/5 of the height from which they jump.

For example, the black-footed frog, which is next to the leopard frog (also in Thailand and Laos), jumping from a height of 10 m, flies 14 m. It is also worth noting the Javanese flying frog. She is, of course, less talented than the “blackpaw”, but is still capable of covering distances of 10-12 m.

Lifestyle of flying frogs

The vast majority of individuals from the family of copepods lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle. Mostly representatives of the genus of flying frogs fly. The fact is that their long toes are connected to each other by special membranes. The tips of these fingers are swollen.

These swellings are necessary so that the frog can stay firmly on a particular tree trunk. When it sits, for example, on a smooth leaf, the swellings on the fingers flatten, turning into special suction cups, which hold the amphibian on tree branches while resting.

Where do they live?

The copepod family is considered quite extensive and includes more than 400 various types. The traditional habitats of these glider aeronauts are tropical zones South-East Asia, Japan, Central and South America (including Madagascar), islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

There are more than 4,800 different species of frogs that can be found throughout the world.
The different habitats that these frogs live in have given rise to the strange looking species we can find today.
This list features ten of the most interesting and unusual frogs, which are known to science today.

10. Brazilian Horned Frog

This amazing frog lives in tropical forests Amazon's South America. The Brazilian slingshot, Ceratophrys aurita, has a distinctive appearance compared to other amphibians. Evolution has done a good job of camouflaging this creature, making it look like a leaf so that the frog can blend in with its surroundings.

A frog can grow up to large sizes, and reach twenty centimeters in length. She buries herself in the leaves so that only her head is visible, and when one of her menu passes by, she quickly grabs it and eats it. This is a very aggressive animal and local residents often wear tall leather boots to protect their feet from powerful bites. Despite them aggressive character, some people keep these frogs as pets.

9. Helen's Flying Frog


This newly discovered frog was first recorded in January of this year, so there is little information available about it. However, this frog is known to be able to fly using its huge webbed feet. A frog glides through the forest canopy of South Vietnam, hiding from predators. Females have patches of skin on their paws that look like wings of sorts, which help them in flight. Their large feet help them attach to tree branches after their flight is over. Helen's flying frog - Rhacophorus helenae is quite large in size, sometimes reaching ten centimeters in length.

It was discovered by an Australian scientist in Vietnam, near Saigon. The scientist named the frog after his mother. Biologists were puzzled that such big frog, living so close to Saigon, went unnoticed for so long.

8. Atelope changeable (Harlequin Toad)


Atelopus varius is endemic to Costa Rica and over the past few years, due to the spread of the fungus and climate change, the population of this species of frog has declined rapidly. On this moment only one isolated population remained. This species is now dangerously close to extinction.

7. Goliath Frog

Goliath frog - Conraua goliath - is the largest frog in the world. It can grow up to thirty-three centimeters in length, and its weight can reach three kilograms. The Goliath frog is twice the size of the giant African Bullfrog.

The creature is endemic West Africa. It feeds on crabs, small snakes and even other frogs. The Goliath frog does not make any sounds due to the absence of vocal glands. She has huge, powerful paws that allow her to jump long distances, up to three meters. Unfortunately, like many other frog species, the goliath frog is vulnerable to human activity, such as hunting, deforestation and animal trade. These factors have already made this frog species an endangered species.

6. Ovoviviparous Toad (Morogoro Tree Toad)


Endemic to the rainforests and grasslands of Tanzania, the ovoviviparous toad, Nectophrynoides Viviparus, has large glands on its body located near the eyes and limbs. These glands can come in a variety of colors, including orange, grey, green, red and white. The color of the gland usually contrasts with the rest of the frog's skin.

The eggs hatch while still inside the female, and are born into small but fully formed toads. This type of pregnancy is quite rare for amphibians.

5. Venezuela Pebble Toad

The pebble toad usually lives in mountainous areas with big amount steep slopes. In case of danger, such as a tarantula, (one of the main predators that prey on this species of toad), it hides its head and limbs under its body, and then tenses its muscles. Thus, it forms a ball, and then rolls down the nearest hill into a puddle or crevice at its foot.

The pebble toad does not suffer any damage from rolling and bouncing because it is very light and its muscles are very strong. The frog uses this defense mechanism because rolling is much faster for it than jumping, and it cannot jump long distances.

4. Vietnamese Mossy Frog

Lichen copepod - Theloderma corticale, lives in tropical forests and swamps northern Vietnam. The frog received this name because of its distinctive shape camouflage that looks like moss and lichen. When predators approach, the frog hides its paws underneath itself so that only the mossy areas of its body are visible. This frog has large pads on its feet that help it stay on trees, and its diet consists exclusively of insects. Frogs lay their eggs on the walls of caves, and the tadpoles fall into the water below, where they spend the rest of their lives. The lichen copepod is a popular pet in Asia.

3. Turtle Frog


The turtle frog, Myobatrachus gouldii, is native to the semi-arid regions of Western Australia. She has a very unusual appearance- she looks like a turtle without a shell, with a round pink body Brown, small head and short limbs. Their limbs are short and muscular, allowing them to dig into the sand and break open termite mounds, which are the frog's main food source.

The turtle frog does not go through the tadpole stage, but instead grows into a fully formed little frog while still inside the egg. Therefore, turtle frog eggs are the largest among the eggs of all frogs in Australia, their size reaches 5 - 7 millimeters in length.

2. Glass Frog

Unusual looking glass frog- Centrolenidae, endemic to the Amazon River basin.

The main part of the body of these frogs is green, but the lower part of their body has transparent skin. This allows you to clearly see their liver, heart and intestines. In pregnant females, even frog eggs located inside are visible. The frog's transparent skin is believed to serve as protection and allow light reflected from the leaves to shine through. This makes it much less noticeable to predators. They live in trees in humid mountain areas and lay eggs on leaves. The tadpoles then fall down into the water and continue to grow to adulthood.

1. Surinamese pipa (Surinam Toad)


The first place on this list is occupied by the Surinamese pipa - Pipa pipa. Like many other frogs, it lives in the Amazon rainforest. This is a large frog that can grow up to twenty centimeters in length. Compared to other species, this frog has a very flat body and tiny eyes. These frogs are typically dirty brown in color and have no tongue or teeth. When searching for a mate, the Surinamese pipa does not croak like regular frogs; instead, it makes high-pitched clicking sounds by striking two bones located in its throat.

Even stranger is the pipa's spawning and reproductive mode. The male attaches to the female in the pond, forming amplexus, a unique form of pseudocopulation. The couple then jumps out of the water several times. After each jump, the female releases several eggs, which are implanted on her back through the skin. These eggs then burrow deeper into the body and within these pockets develop into fully formed peeps. Then, during childbirth, they burst out of the female's skin.

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Purple Frog


Purple frog - Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, this unique look frogs and the only member of the family Nasikabatrachidae that lives in the mountains of southern India. The frog has smooth, purple skin and a large, round body with squat limbs. This frog has a small head and a nose like a pig's snout. Purple frog holding most lives underground and only emerges from its tunnel for two weeks each year. This species has evolved independently over 130 million years, and its closest living relatives are the Seychelles frogs (Sooglossidae frogs), found in the Seychelles Islands

Natural resources are impressive in their diversity. There are a huge number of plants and fauna in the world. Almost every year, scientists identify more and more new species. Today we will talk about an amphibian, which is known as the “flying frog”. There are several varieties of these amphibians.

copepod frog

There are about 80 species of flying frogs in the world. All of them belong to the Copepod family. Frogs of this species not only jump and swim, but also soar in the air. This feature is due to the fact that the paws of these amphibians have wide membranes. In some species their area can be up to 20 cm2.

Flying frogs are most often found in the following tropical regions:

• China;
• Japan;
• India;
• Philippines;
• Malay Archipelago;
• Madagascar;
• African countries.

These frogs prefer to live in trees. Amphibians descend to the ground only when mating season for mating and laying eggs. The structure of the body allows them to carry out short flight at a distance of up to 15 meters. The amphibian has high tenacity, due to which the landing is always successful. Such maneuverability and accuracy are ensured by the presence of small teeth and membranes on the paws, which are covered with sticky mucus. When a frog needs to descend from a tree to the ground, it makes a jump and carries out its gliding flight.

Description of the frog Rhacophorus arboreus

The habitat of Rhacophorus arboreus, or the Kinugassa flying frog, is the islands of Sado and Honshu (Japan). The amphibian is found in wet forests tropics and subtropics, in freshwater swamps and irrigated lands.

This kind tree frogs mainly lives in trees, and only during the mating season do individuals gather near water sources. Their diet consists exclusively of insects.

The body structure of the Kinugassa frog is somewhat different from other species of amphibians. She has a very large head, and her paws have special membranes. Female frogs are larger in size than males. Their body size ranges from 59 to 82 mm, while that of their partner does not exceed 60 mm. The color is bright green, there may be spots of black or brown on the back, although there are individuals that do not have any markings. The color of the iris can vary from orange tint until red-brown.

During the mating season, the male calls the female with a special call, which consists of a series of clicks. The flying frog can lay 300 to 800 eggs. A substance is released from the female's cloaca, which she forms into foam. The frog attaches the resulting mixture to the branches of a tree, near a body of water, and lays eggs there, after which the male fertilizes them. Through short period Over time, the foam becomes hard, which provides future offspring with protection from predators and drying out.

Description of a giant flying frog

Polypedates dennysii, or giant flying frog, is native to northern Vietnam. In size, the amphibian can reach 15-18 cm. Females, unlike males, are larger and have bright color. There may be white or brown spots on the body. Quite rare varieties have speckles of a bright blue hue. If an amphibian is frightened, its color may change and take on a darker shade.

Interesting fact! Amphibians born in captivity are not bright green; their shade is somewhere between green and blue, more like turquoise. The membranes on the hind legs are pink.

The giant flying frog leads predominantly night look life. The breeding season lasts from May to October.

IN Lately It has become fashionable to breed all kinds of strange creatures at home. Amphibians are especially popular. Giant flying frogs are quite picky to keep, but their reproduction in captivity is almost impossible.

If you decide to get yourself such a pet, you will need a special terrarium; it is better to choose a larger one so that the frog is comfortable. Inside it needs to be equipped with driftwood and branches. Since amphibians love moisture, instead of soil you need to fill the bottom of the terrarium with water. The layer should be approximately 5-7 cm.

Cleaning your pet's home must be done regularly, as the water quickly becomes contaminated by amphibian excrement, and the walls become dirty due to the mucus on the frog's legs. Content temperature:

• during the day: + 26;
• at night: + 20.

You can feed frogs with insects and large cockroaches. Large individuals can be given small mice.

The lifespan of flying frogs is about 15-20 years.

flying frog or flying frog(Rhacophorus) is a genus of frogs from the family of true frogs (Ranidae), distinguished by highly developed toes of both pairs of legs with suction pads at the ends and highly developed membranes not only on the hind legs, but mostly on the front legs. Frogs, living like tree frogs on trees and bushes, use these membranes as parachutes to make large jumps. There are 42 known species, of which 30 are found in the south. and east Asia, the rest in Madagascar. Javan L. frog (R h. Reinwardtii; see Tailless reptiles, table I, fig. 9), not uncommon in the mountain forests of Java and Sumatra, is dark green in color with a bright yellow belly and in young animals with large dark blue spots on the swimming membranes and under the arms (in adults, the spots almost disappear).

encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. - St. Petersburg: Brockhaus-Efron. 1890-1907 .

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