Japanese brown frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Japanese brown frog |
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The Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica) is a type of frog that lives only in Japan. You can find these frogs in places like grassy fields, near rivers, in swamps, and even in farm areas that get flooded sometimes.
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What Does the Japanese Brown Frog Look Like?
Japanese brown frogs have a slim body that is reddish-brown. They also have a long, narrow head.
Male frogs are usually about 48 mm (0.157 ft) long from their snout to their bottom. Female frogs are often bigger than males. They can be about 54 mm (0.177 ft) long.
These frogs do not have a special vocal sac to help them make loud calls. However, during their mating season (which is from January to March), male frogs grow yellowish-brown pads called nuptial pads. They use these pads to hold onto the female during mating. The males also sing during this time, making songs with 10 to 20 notes.
Where Do Japanese Brown Frogs Live?
The Japanese brown frog lives in Japan, on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. You can also find them in the southern parts of China.
In Japan, these frogs mostly live on hillsides and in flat areas called plains. They are not often seen in mountain ranges. They prefer places like temperate grasslands, near rivers, in swamps, and in farm fields that are watered or get flooded at certain times of the year.
See-Through Frogs: A Special Kind of Japanese Brown Frog
In 2007, Japanese scientists created a special type of Rana japonica that is often called a "see-through frog." They did this by combining two kinds of genes that make the frogs translucent.
Being translucent means you can see through their skin, almost like looking through a window. This allows scientists to see the frog's organs, blood cells, and even eggs without having to cut the frog open. This special ability also makes it easier to spot things like cancer growths inside the frog.
Who Eats Japanese Brown Frogs?
When Japanese brown frogs are very young, they are called tadpole larvae. These young tadpoles are sometimes eaten by the aquatic larvae of the Ezo salamander, which is another type of amphibian.
See also
- European frog
