Taipei Frog
(Rana taipehensis)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
The Taipei frog is a typical representative of the Rana genus. It is one of the smaller species with adult females growing to around 4 cm long, and males just 2-3 cm. It is also called two-striped grassfrog as it has a golden stripe running on each flank from behind the eye to the rear end of the body. The colour of the dorsal surface ranges from green to brown.
Taipei frogs breed in rice paddies, damp marshes as well as ponds with extensive vegetation during spring and summer. Adults are alert, usually hiding in vegetation. When frightened, they leap into water or vegetation.
Did you know?
that frogs become locally extinct very quickly if their water is polluted with toxic substances? This is due to the fact that the frogs' skin absorbs elements in their environment very easily.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | AMPHIBIA |
| Order | ANURA |
| Suborder | NEOBATRACHIA |
| Family | RANIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Rana taipehensis |
| Name (English) | Taipei Frog |
| Name (French) | Grenouille de Taipei |
| Name (German) | Taipei-Grasfrosch |
| Name (Spanish) | Rana de Taipei |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Bikramadittya Guha Roy
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Bangladesh; Cambodia; China; Hong Kong; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam |
| Habitat | Open, grassy wetland areas, rice paddies, river floodplains and forest ponds and swampy areas in deciduous forest |
| Wild population | Unknown but it is generally recorded as common |
| Zoo population | None reported to ISIS (2005) |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 45 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Bikramadittya Guha Roy
Why do zoos keep this animal
The Taipei Frog, once a common species found throughout the lowland wetlands of Taiwan, is now threatened by habitat loss and pollution from insecticides. Taipei Zoo links the ex situ keeping of the species, which serves educational purposes, with in situ conservation action by conducting population monitoring in San-Chi and Yang-Mei, where a couple of frog populations survive. Since habitat restoration is an important part of the frog recovery program, Taipei Zoo joins efforts with others to convince local lotus farmers to switch to organic farming and refrain from using pesticides. The frogs and their habitats are thus protected.