Megophryidae
Encyclopedia
Megophryidae are a large family
of frog
s native to the warm southeast of Asia
, from the Himalaya foothills eastwards, south to Indonesia
and the Greater Sunda Islands
in Maritime Southeast Asia
, and extending to the Philippines
. As of mid-2008 it encompasses approximately 70-100 species of frog divided between 12 genera. For lack of a vernacular name, they are commonly called megophryids.
The megophryids are notable for their camouflage
, especially those that live in forest
s, which often look like dead leaves. The camouflage is accurate to the point of some having skin folds that look like leaf veins, and at least one species, the Long-nosed Horned Frog
(Megophrys montana) has sharp projections extending past the eye and nose, which disguise the frog shape.
Megophryids range in size from 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) to 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) in length. The adults' tongue is noticeably paddle
-shaped. Their tadpole
s can be found in a variety of waters, but especially pond
s and stream
s. The tadpoles are extremely diverse in form because of the variety of habitat
s they inhabit.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s native to the warm southeast of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, from the Himalaya foothills eastwards, south to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the Greater Sunda Islands
Greater Sunda Islands
The Greater Sunda Islands are a group of large islands within the Malay archipelago. Jawa , smallest but by far the most populous and important; Sumatera in the west, directly across the Strait of Malacca from Malaysia; Kalimantan, the Indonesian sector of large, compact, minicontinent Borneo; and...
in Maritime Southeast Asia
Maritime Southeast Asia
Maritime Southeast Asia refers to the maritime region of Southeast Asia as opposed to mainland Southeast Asia and includes the modern countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, East Timor and Singapore....
, and extending to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. As of mid-2008 it encompasses approximately 70-100 species of frog divided between 12 genera. For lack of a vernacular name, they are commonly called megophryids.
The megophryids are notable for their camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
, especially those that live in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, which often look like dead leaves. The camouflage is accurate to the point of some having skin folds that look like leaf veins, and at least one species, the Long-nosed Horned Frog
Long-nosed Horned Frog
The Long-nosed Horned Frog or the Malayan Horned Frog is a species of frog restricted to the rainforest areas of southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo.-Physical description:...
(Megophrys montana) has sharp projections extending past the eye and nose, which disguise the frog shape.
Megophryids range in size from 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) to 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) in length. The adults' tongue is noticeably paddle
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
-shaped. Their tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s can be found in a variety of waters, but especially pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s and stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s. The tadpoles are extremely diverse in form because of the variety of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s they inhabit.
Genera
Family Megophryinidae- AtympanophrysAtympanophrysAtympanophrys is a genus of the Megophryidae family in the order Anura, and are found in Yunnan, China.-Species:* Atympanophrys gigantica .* Atympanophrys shapingensis ....
- Borneophrys - Rough horned frogs Delorme, Dubois, Grosjean & Ohler, 2006 (formerly in Megophrys)
- Brachytarsophrys – Karin Hills frogs
- LeptobrachellaLeptobrachellaLeptobrachella is a genus of the Megophryidae family in the order Anura, and are found on Borneo and Natuna Islands.-Species:* Leptobrachella baluensis Smith, 1931.* Leptobrachella brevicrus Dring, 1984....
- Borneo frogs - Leptobrachium – Eastern spadefoot toads
- LeptolalaxLeptolalaxLeptolalax is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. They are widely distributed in eastern Asia.-Selected species:* Leptolalax aereus* Leptolalax alpinus* Leptolalax applebyi Rowley & Cao, 2009* Leptolalax arayai...
- Asian toads - MegophrysMegophrysMegophrys is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. They commonly have elongated upper "eyebrows" and are thus known as Asian horned frogs...
- Asian horned toads - OphryophryneOphryophryneOphryophryne is a genus of amphibian in the Megophryidae family.It contains the following species:* Ophryophryne gerti* Ophryophryne hansi* Ophryophryne microstoma* Ophryophryne pachyproctus...
- Mountain toads - OreolalaxOreolalaxOreolalax is a genus of amphibian in the Megophryidae family.It contains the following species:* Oreolalax chuanbeiensis* Oreolalax granulosus* Oreolalax jingdongensis* Oreolalax liangbeiensis* Oreolalax lichuanensis...
- Scutiger - Cat-eyed toads
- VibrissaphoraVibrissaphoraVibrissaphora is a genus of amphibian in the Megophryidae family.It contains the following species:* Vibrissaphora ailaonica* Vibrissaphora boringii* Vibrissaphora echinata* Vibrissaphora leishanensis* Vibrissaphora liui...
- Spiny toads (sometimes included in Leptobrachium) - XenophrysXenophrysXenophrys is a genus of amphibian in the Megophryidae family.It contains the following species:* Perak Horned Toad Xenophrys aceras* Aural Horned Toad Xenophrys auralensis* Kinabalu Horned Toad Xenophrys baluensis...