''Rhacophorus'' 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 ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s in the shrub-frog

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 ...

Rhacophoridae The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They are commonly known as ...

, which, with the related

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

, is one of the two genera of true

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia suborder have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not clos ...

s. They are found in China, India, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia, including the island of

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

. Over 40 species are currently recognised. These frogs have long toes with strong webbing between them, enabling the animals to jump from tree to tree, using the webbing to control a gliding descent, a form of

arboreal locomotion Arboreal locomotion is the animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolution, evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are e ...

known as ''parachuting''. This behavioral adaptation is the source of their common name, "

flying frog A flying frog (also called a gliding frog) is a frog that has the ability to achieve gliding flight. This means it can descend at an angle less than 45° relative to the horizontal. Other nonflying arboreal frogs can also descend, but only at an ...

s". The present genus is closely related to ''

Polypedates ''Polypedates'' is a genus of frogs in the family (biology), family Rhacophoridae, the shrub frogs and Paleotropic tree frogs. They belong to subfamily Rhacophorinae. Members of this genus are collectively known as whipping frogs. They occur in ...

'', which (formerly) was included in ''Rhacophorus''. Even today, it is not fully agreed upon which of these genera '' "P." feae'' and the Chinese flying frog (''"R." dennysi'') properly belong to; furthermore, a supposedly new species, ''"P. pingbianensis"'', has been found to be the same as '' R. duboisi''.

Reproduction

These frogs lay their eggs in aerial foam nests; upon hatching,

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 drop to the water under the nest and complete their development there. Some species like

Rhacophorus kio ''Rhacophorus kio'' is a species of flying frog in the family Rhacophoridae and is found in the rainforests of southeast Asia, in countries such as China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its ability to glide and its adhesive toe pads make it well ad ...

will wrap this and cover this foam nest with leaves.

Species

These species are recognised in the genus ''Rhacophorus'': * ''

Rhacophorus annamensis ''Rhacophorus annamensis'' is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae found in the Annamite Mountains in Cambodia and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane for ...

'' Smith, 1924 – Annam flying frog * ''

Rhacophorus baluensis ''Rhacophorus baluensis'' (common name: Balu flying frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae found in northern Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. It is likely to be found in northern Kalimantan. Its natural habitats are submonta ...

'' Inger, 1954 * ''

Rhacophorus barisani ''Rhacophorus barisani'' is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat ...

'' Harvey, Pemberton, and Smith, 2002 * ''

Rhacophorus bengkuluensis ''Rhacophorus bengkuluensis'' is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Sumatra in Indonesia. Scientists believe it lives between 250 and 900 meters above sea level. This species was previously considered the same as '' ...

'' Streicher, Hamidy, Harvey, Anders, Shaney, Kurniawan, and Smith, 2014 * ''

Rhacophorus bifasciatus ''Rhacophorus bifasciatus'' is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. It is threatened ...

'' Van Kampen, 1923 * ''

Rhacophorus bipunctatus :''In sources published from 1999 onwards, the name ''Rhacophorus bipunctatus'' can also refer to '' R. rhodopus'' (see "Taxonomy" section).'' ''Rhacophorus bipunctatus'' is a frog species in the moss frog family (Rhacophoridae) found from eastern ...

'' Ahl, 1927 (including ''R. htunwini'') * ''

Rhacophorus borneensis ''Rhacophorus borneensis'' is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. This recently (2013) described species is endemic to Malaysian Borneo where it is known from its type locality in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sandakan Division ...

'' Matsui, Shimada, and Sudin, 2013 * ''

Rhacophorus calcadensis ''Rhacophorus calcadensis'', also known as the Kalakad gliding frog, Kalakkad tree frog, and Langbian flying frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to the southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, India. I ...

'' Ahl, 1927 –

Kalakad gliding frog ''Rhacophorus calcadensis'', also known as the Kalakad gliding frog, Kalakkad tree frog, and Langbian flying frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to the southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, India. I ...

* ''

Rhacophorus calcaneus ''Rhacophorus calcaneus'' (vernacular name: Vietnam flying frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Vietnam. It has been extensively confused with '' Rhacophorus robertingeri'', making it difficult to know its true ...

'' Smith, 1924 * '' Rhacophorus catamitus'' Harvey, Pemberton, and Smith, 2002 * '' Rhacophorus edentulus'' Müller, 1894 * '' Rhacophorus exechopygus'' Inger, Orlov, and Darevsky, 1999 * ''

Rhacophorus georgii ''Rhacophorus georgii'' (common name: Tuwa flying frog) is a species of flying frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its type locality ("Tuwa, Paluthal, West-Central Celebes") cannot be located, but it has recently b ...

'' Roux, 1904 * '' Rhacophorus helenae'' Rowley, Tran, Hoang & Le, 2012 – Helen's tree frog * '' Rhacophorus hoabinhensis'' Nguyen, Pham, Nguyen, Ninh, and Ziegler, 2017 * '' Rhacophorus hoanglienensis'' Orlov, Lathrop, Murphy, and Ho, 2001 * '' Rhacophorus indonesiensis'' Hamidy & Kurniati, 2015 * ''

'' Ohler & Delorme, 2005 – black-webbed treefrog * '' Rhacophorus laoshan'' Mo, Jiang, Xie, and Ohler, 2008 * '' Rhacophorus larissae'' Ostroshabov, Orlov, and Nguyen, 2013 * '' Rhacophorus lateralis'' Boulenger, 1883 * ''

Rhacophorus malabaricus The Malabar gliding frog or Malabar flying frog (''Rhacophorus malabaricus'') is a Rhacophoridae, rhacophorid tree frog species found in the Western Ghats of India. Pictures The term "gliding" frog refers to its ability to break its fall ...

'' Jerdon, 1870 –

Malabar gliding frog The Malabar gliding frog or Malabar flying frog (''Rhacophorus malabaricus'') is a Rhacophoridae, rhacophorid tree frog species found in the Western Ghats of India. Pictures The term "gliding" frog refers to its ability to break its fall ...

* '' Rhacophorus margaritifer'' (Schlegel, 1837) * '' Rhacophorus marmoridorsum'' Orlov, 2008 * '' Rhacophorus modestus'' Boulenger, 1920 * '' Rhacophorus monticola'' Boulenger, 1896 * ''

Rhacophorus napoensis ''Rhacophorus'' is a genus of frogs in the shrub-frog family Rhacophoridae, which, with the related Hylidae, is one of the two genera of true tree frogs. They are found in China, India, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia, including the island o ...

'' Li, Liu, Yu, and Sun, 2022 * ''

Rhacophorus nigropalmatus Wallace's flying frog (''Rhacophorus nigropalmatus''), also known as the gliding frog or the Abah River flying frog, is a moss frog found at least from the Malay Peninsula into western Indonesia and southern Thailand, and is present in Borneo a ...

'' Boulenger, 1895 –

Wallace's flying frog Wallace's flying frog (''Rhacophorus nigropalmatus''), also known as the gliding frog or the Abah River flying frog, is a moss frog found at least from the Malay Peninsula into western Indonesia and southern Thailand, and is present in Borneo a ...

* '' Rhacophorus norhayatii'' Chan and Grismer, 2010 * '' Rhacophorus orlovi'' Ziegler and Köhler, 2001 * '' Rhacophorus pardalis'' Günther, 1858 – harlequin tree frog * '' Rhacophorus poecilonotus'' Boulenger, 1920 * '' Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus'' Vasudevan and Dutta, 2000 * '' Rhacophorus reinwardtii'' (Schlegel, 1840) – black-webbed tree frog, green flying frog, Reinwardt's tree frog * '' Rhacophorus rhodopus'' Liu and Hu, 1960 (including ''R. namdaphaensis'', often included in ''R. bipunctatus'') * '' Rhacophorus robertingeri'' Orlov, Poyarkov, Vassilieva, Ananjeva, Nguyen, Sang, and Geissler, 2012 * '' Rhacophorus spelaeus'' Orlov, Gnophanxay, Phimminith, and Phomphoumy, 2010 * '' Rhacophorus subansiriensis'' Mathew and Sen, 2009 * '' Rhacophorus trangdinhensis'' Kropachev, Evsyunin, Orlov, and Nguyen, 2022 * '' Rhacophorus translineatus'' Wu, 1977 * '' Rhacophorus tuberculatus'' (Anderson, 1871) * '' Rhacophorus turpes'' Smith, 1940 * '' Rhacophorus vanbanicus'' Kropachev, Orlov, Ninh, and Nguyen, 2019 * '' Rhacophorus verrucopus'' Huang, 1983 * '' Rhacophorus viridimaculatus'' Ostroshabov, Orlov, and Nguyen, 2013

Phylogeny

The following is a partial phylogeny of ''Rhacophorus'' from Pyron & Wiens (2011). Only nine species are included. ''Rhacophorus'' is a

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

of ''

''.

References

External links

Amphibian and Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia - Family Rhacophoridae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q943540 Amphibians of Asia Amphibian genera Taxa named by Heinrich Kuhl Taxa named by Johan Conrad van Hasselt