''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

true frog True frogs is the common name for the frog family (biology), family Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The true frogs are p ...

s (

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''

Huia The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was another credible sighting in 1924 ...

'', '' Meristogenys'', ''

Odorrana ''Odorrana'', commonly known as odorous frogs, is a genus of true frogs (Ranidae) from East Asia and surrounding regions. Many of these frogs inhabit fast-flowing mountain streams, and they typically have a remarkably pointed snout, as evidenced ...

'', ''

Pelophylax ''Pelophylax'' is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the green frogs of the Old World, which he considered distinct fro ...

'' and ''

Rana Rana may refer to: Astronomy * Rana (crater), a crater on Mars * Delta Eridani or Rana, a star Films * Rana (2012 film), an Indian Kannada-language action drama * Rana, a 1998 Telugu-language action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy * R ...

'', but still form a distinct lineage among the core

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'' consisting of photons, such as radio waves, microwaves, infr ...

of true frogs.Cai ''et al.'' (2007), Stuart (2008) They are commonly known as "

torrent frog 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 e ...

s" after their favorite

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

- small rapid-flowing mountain and hill streams - but this name is used for many similar-looking frogs regardless of whether they are loosely related. Several

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

are highly convergent with other Ranidae "torrent frogs". '' A. archotaphus'' and its relatives for example very much resemble '' Odorrana livida''. In another incidence of convergent evolution yielding

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...

to habitat, the

tadpole A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...

s of ''Amolops'', ''Huia'', ''Meristogenys'' as well as ''

Rana sauteri ''Rana sauteri'' is a species of true frog endemic to Taiwan. It inhabits low-altitude hill forests and the associated streams. It is an endangered species threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and infrastructure development. Common names ...

'' have a raised and usually well-developed sucker on their belly. This is useful in keeping in place in rocky torrents, where these frogs grow up. But as ''Odorrana'' and ''

Staurois ''Staurois'' is a small genus of minuscule true frogs. Most species in the genus are restricted to Borneo, but two species are from the Philippines.Arifin, U., D. T. Iskandar, D. P. Bickford, R. M. Brown, R. Meier, and S. N. Kutty. (2011). Phylo ...

'' from comparable

prove, this sucker is by no means a necessity and other means of adaptation to torrent habitat exist.Stuart (2008)

Species

The delimitation of this genus has proven complicated, with many

believed to belong elsewhere. Due to the degree of

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last comm ...

DNA sequence A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the nu ...

studies are very helpful in assigning species to the genera, though the possibility of past

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

ization cannot be discounted in Ranidae. New species are described on a regular basis. At least one undescribed species is known to exist, a very distinct form from

Phetchaburi Phetchaburi (, ) or Phet Buri () is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is approximately 160 km south of ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

that is possibly closer to '' A. marmoratus'' than to most others.Cai ''et al.'' (2007) * ''

Amolops afghanus Kachin torrent frog (''Amolops afghanus'') is a species of true frog native to Myanmar. Description Kachin torrent frog is an obscure species and not much is known about it. However, from preserved specimens and written descriptions, it is kn ...

'' Günther, 1858 * ''

Amolops ailao ''Amolops ailao'', the Ailao cascade frog, is a species of true frog found on Mt. Ailao in the Yunnan Province, China. Description There is much variation in within the species. They show sexual dimorphism in that the female is bigger than t ...

'' Tang et al., 2023 * ''

Amolops akhaorum ''Amolops akhaorum'' is a species of true frogs (family Ranidae) discovered in 2007 in the Nam Ha National Protected Area, north-western Laos. It is still only known from its type locality. The specific name ''akhaorum'' refers to the local Akh ...

'' Stuart, Bain, Phimmachak, and Spence, 2010 * '' Amolops albispinus'' Sung, Hu, Wang, Liu, and Wang, 2016 * '' Amolops aniqiaoensis'' Dong, Rao, and Lü, 2005 * ''

Amolops archotaphus ''Amolops archotaphus'', also known as the Doi Inthanon rock frog (Doi Inthanon mountain being its type locality), is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Chiang Mai Province in northwestern Thailand, although its range mi ...

'' Inger and Chan-ard, 1997 * '' Amolops assamensis'' Sengupta ''et al''., 2008 * ''

Amolops attiguus ''Amolops attiguus'', the similar Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in eastern Bolikhamsai province, Bolikhamxay Province and Xiangkhouang, Xieng Khouang Province, Laos. Description ''Amolops attiguus'' is a small green frog ...

'' Sheridan, Phimmachak, Sivongxay, Stuart, 2023 * '' Amolops australis'' Chan, Abraham, Grismer, and Grismer, 2018 * '' Amolops bellulus'' Liu, Yang, Ferraris, and Matsui, 2000 * '' Amolops chakrataensis'' Ray, 1992 * '' Amolops chayuensis'' Sun, Luo, Sun, and Zhang, 2013 * '' Amolops chunganensis'' Pope, 1929 * '' Amolops compotrix'' Bain, Stuart, and Orlov, 2006 * ''

Amolops cremnobatus ''Amolops cremnobatus'' is a species of frogs in the family Ranidae. It is found in north-central Laos and Vietnam. Its range might extend into Thailand. The specific name ''cremnobatus'' is derived from Greek ''kremnobates'', meaning "frequent ...

'' Inger and Kottelat, 1998 * '' Amolops cucae'' Bain, Stuart, and Orlov, 2006 * ''

Amolops dafangensis ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia'', '' Meristogenys'', ''Odorrana' ...

'' Li et al., 2024 * '' Amolops daiyunensis'' Liu & Hu, 1975 * '' Amolops daorum'' Bain, Lathrop, Murphy, Orlov, and Ho, 2003 * '' Amolops formosus'' Günther, 1876 * '' Amolops gerbillus'' Annandale, 1912 * '' Amolops gerutu'' Chan, Abraham, Grismer, and Grismer, 2018 * '' Amolops granulosus'' Liu and Hu, 1961 * '' Amolops hainanensis'' Boulenger, 1900 * '' Amolops himalayanus'' Boulenger, 1888 * '' Amolops hongkongensis'' Pope and Romer, 1951 – Hong Kong cascade frog * '' Amolops indoburmanensis'' Dever, Fuiten, Konu, and Wilkinson, 2012 * '' Amolops iriodes'' Bain and Nguyen, 2004 * '' Amolops jaunsari'' Ray, 1992 * '' Amolops jinjiangensis'' Su, Yang, and Li, 1986 * '' Amolops kaulbacki'' Smith, 1940 * '' Amolops kohimaensis'' Biju, Mahony, and Kamei, 2010 * ''

Amolops kottelati ''Amolops kottelati'', or Kottelat's Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog that is found in Laos. Description The species is identified most easily by the tadpole. However, it is a somewhat brown frog with green mottling. No pictures of ...

'' Sheridan, Phimmachak, Sivongxay, & Stuart, 2023 * ''

Amolops larutensis ''Amolops larutensis'' (common names: Larut sucker frog, Larut Hill cascade frog, southern pad-discked frog) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae that is found in the Malay Peninsula from southernmost Thailand to Malaysia; records further ...

'' Boulenger, 1899 * '' Amolops lifanensis'' Liu, 1945 * ''

Amolops loloensis ''Amolops loloensis'' is a species of frog in the family Ranidae that is found in southern and western Sichuan and one locality in north-central Yunnan, China. Its natural habitats are small mountain streams in forests and grasslands. It is thre ...

'' Liu, 1950 * '' Amolops longimanus'' Andersson, 1939 * '' Amolops mantzorum'' David, 1872 * ''

Amolops marmoratus ''Amolops marmoratus'' is a species of ranid frog found in Asia. Its common names include marbled sucker frog, marbled cascade frog, Pegu torrent frog, and many others. The taxonomic status of many populations formerly assigned to this species is ...

'' Blyth, 1855 * '' Amolops medogensis'' Li and Rao, 2005 * '' Amolops mengdingensis'' Yu, Wu, and Yang, 2019 * '' Amolops mengyangensis'' Wu and Tian, 1995 * '' Amolops minutus'' Orlov and Ho, 2007 * '' Amolops monticola'' Anderson, 1871 * '' Amolops nidorbellus'' Biju, Mahony, and Kamei, 2010 * '' Amolops nyingchiensis'' Jiang, Wang, Xie, Jiang, and Che, 2016 * '' Amolops ottorum'' Pham, Sung, Pham, Le, Ziegler, and Nguyen, 2019 * '' Amolops pallasitatus'' Qi, Zhou, Lyu, Lu, and Li, 2019 * ''

Amolops panhai ''Amolops panhai'', commonly known as the peninsular torrentfrog, is a species of true frog that can be found in western and peninsular Thailand and in eastern Myanmar. It is associated with streams and waterfalls in moist lowland forests. Its ...

'' Matsui & Nabhitabhata, 2006 * ''

Amolops putaoensis ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia'', '' Meristogenys'', ''Odorrana' ...

'' Gan et al., 2020 * '' Amolops ricketti'' Boulenger, 1899 * ''

Amolops senchalensis ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family (biology), family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia (frog), Huia'', ...

'' Chanda, 1987 * ''

Amolops sengae ''Amolops sengae'', or Seng's Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in Laos. Description ''Amolops sengae'' is a relatively small, greenish-brown frog. They do show sexual dimorphism in that males are smaller than females. 7 spec ...

'' Sheridan, Phimmachak, Sivongxay, & Stuart, 2023 * ''

Amolops shihaitaoi ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia'', '' Meristogenys'', ''Odorrana' ...

'' Wang, Li, Du, Hou, & Yu, 2022 * ''

Amolops shillong ''Amolops shillong'' is a species of cascade-dwelling frog of genus, '' Amolops''. ''A. shillong'' is found within the urban landscape of Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya in Northeast India. This species is differentiated from other speci ...

'' Saikia et al., 2025 * ''

Amolops shuichengicus ''Amolops shuichengicus'', the Shuicheng torrent frog, is a species of true frog from China. Description The SVL of males is and in females. The dorsal side is brown with some green spots that may increase in density further towards the hea ...

'' Lyu and Wang, 2019 * ''

Amolops siju ''Amolops siju'', the Siju Cave frog, is a species of true frog found in the Siju Cave, India. Description It is brown with green mottling and it has dark bands on the legs. The ventral side is light with dark patches. Only 4 specimens have ...

'' Saikia et al., 2023 * '' Amolops sinensis'' Lyu, Wang, and Wang, 2019 * '' Amolops spinapectoralis'' Inger, Orlov, and Darevsky, 1999 * '' Amolops splendissimus'' Orlov and Ho, 2007 * ''

Amolops tanfuilianae ''Amolops tanfuilianae'', or Fui Lian's Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in Laos and Northern Vietnam. Description It is a relatively small brown frog with green mottling on the dorsal side. Ventrally, it has no patterning and ...

'' Sheridan, Phimmachak, Sivongxay, & Stuart, 2023 * ''

Amolops teochew ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family (biology), family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia (frog), Huia'', ...

'' Zeng, Wang, Lyu & Wang, 2021 * ''

Amolops terraorchis ''Amolops'' (commonly known as cascade frogs or sucker frogs) is a genus of true frogs (family Ranidae) native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as ''Huia'', '' Meristogenys'', ''Odorrana' ...

'' Saikia et al., 2022 * '' Amolops torrentis'' Smith, 1923 * ''

Amolops truongi ''Amolops truongi'' is a species of true frog from Vietnam and China. Description ''Amolops truongi'' is a green and/or brown frog. The species has been described from ten Zoological specimen, specimens, though later ones have been found. The ...

'' Pham et al., 2023 * '' Amolops tuanjieensis'' Gan et al., 2020 * '' Amolops tuberodepressus'' Liu and Yang, 2000 * '' Amolops viridimaculatus'' Jiang, 1983 * '' Amolops vitreus'' Bain, Stuart, and Orlov, 2006 * '' Amolops wangyali'' Mahony, Nidup, Streicher, Teeling & Kamei, 2022 * '' Amolops wenshanensis'' Yuan, Jin, Li, Stuart, and Wu, 2018 * '' Amolops wuyiensis'' Liu and Hu, 1975 * '' Amolops xinduqiao'' Fei, Ye, Wang, and Jiang, 2017 * ''

Amolops yangi ''Amolops yangi'' is a species of true frog found in the Yunnan, Yunnan Province, China. Description The species was described based on three Zoological specimen, specimens. The Snout–vent length, SVL of the two examined males is and in th ...

'' Wu et al., 2024 * '' Amolops yatseni'' Lyu, Wang, and Wang, 2019 * '' Amolops yunkaiensis'' Lyu, Wang, Liu, Zeng, and Wang, 2018

Footnotes

References

* (2007): Paraphyly of Chinese ''Amolops'' (Anura, Ranidae) and phylogenetic position of the rare Chinese frog, ''Amolops tormotus''. ''

Zootaxa ''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...

'' 1531: 49–55
PDF abstract and first page text
* (2008): The phylogenetic problem of ''Huia'' (Amphibia: Ranidae). '' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.'' 46(1): 49–60. (HTMl abstract) Amphibian genera Frogs of Asia Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope {{Ranidae-stub