Morphological and morphometric study of Iranian Wood Frog (Rana pseudodalmatina) in Golestan Province (Anura: Ranidae)

Document Type : Animal systematic

Authors

Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan

Abstract

Order Anura are about 6200 species and consists of 49 families. Family Ranidae includes two genera and three species in Iran. Hircanian Wood Frog or Iranian wood frog, Rana pseudodalmatina Eiselt&Schmidtler, 1971 is endemic to Iran. Totally 70 specimens (51 males, 19 females) of Rana pseudodalmatina were studied from Zoological Museum of Golestan University (ZMGU) to determine the Morphologic and morphometric characters. 25 morphometric characters of fixed specimens were measured by a digital caliper (accuracy 0.01 mm). Males have callosity on the first finger. This species has an unclear dorsal points or stains, with no clear tape nuts, temporal spots on the sides of the head, hind limbs with a little swimming membrane, lean and stretched hind limbs. Sex ratio of males to females was 3 to 1. L/L.c: 3.12-3.13 (mean 3.125±0.007), Lt.p/Sp.p: 1.06-1.11 (mean 1.085±0.87), L.o/L.tym: 1.48-1.65 (mean 1.565±0.120), F/T: 0.85-0.87 (mean 0.86±0.014), D.p/C.int: 2.16-2.39 (mean 2.27±0.162).The longest specimens studied (69.42 mm) from the previous sizes 52 to 58 (57.60 type specimens) is a record.

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