Sahara frog
| Sahara frog | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Pelophylax |
| Species: | P. saharicus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Pelophylax saharicus (Boulenger, 1913) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Rana esculenta var. saharica Boulenger in Hartert, 1913 |
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Rana esculenta var. saharica Boulenger in Hartert, 1913
The Sahara frog (Pelophylax saharicus) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is native to Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spanish North Africa (Ceuta and Melilla), and Western Sahara; it has also been introduced to Gran Canaria. In French it is called grenouille verte d'Afrique du Nord, and in Spanish it is known as rana verde norteafricana.
The Sahara frog is a large species, an exceptional female from Morocco having a snout-to-vent length of 104.5 mm (4.1 in). It is sometimes confused with Perez's frog (Pelophylax perezi), and the published description may be partially of that species. The head is as wide as it is long, the snout is oval and the eyes have horizontal pupils. Males have a pair of vocal sacs on the throat. A ridge connects the nostrils and upper eyelids and continues to the groin, separating the back from the flanks. The hind feet are webbed. The colour is variable, being reported as green, brown or mixed, sometimes with darker spots. Some frogs have a yellowish or greenish line along the spine. The legs are always spotted or barred.
The Sahara frog is native to North Africa where its range includes Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. It has been introduced to the Canary Islands. It is aquatic and found in and near streams, oasis pools, irrigation canals, lakes, and other water bodies.
The Sahara frog is abundant where suitable wetland habitat is present. It can locally be threatened by over-exploitation and pollution of water but the population seems to be steady, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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