Cretan frog
| Cretan frog | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Pelophylax |
| Species: | P. cretensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pelophylax cretensis (Beerli, Hotz, Tunner, Heppich & Uzzell, 1994) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Beerli, Hotz, Tunner, Heppich & Uzzell, 1994 | |
The Cretan frog (Pelophylax cretensis) is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is endemic to Greece.
Description
A medium-sized frog reaching up to 6.5 cm in length. The Cretan frog is generally light grey to brown and mottled with brown or olive-grey spots on its back, while the throat and underside of the body are whitish-grey. Occasionally, the upperparts of the Cretan frog may be grass-green with distinct brown spots. The insides of the hind legs are yellow, and the sides of the body may also have yellowish colouration. This species has a prominent dark brown fold of skin down the back.[1]
Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Sources
- Beerli, P. & Uzzell, T. 2004. Rana cretensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2007.
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