Kingdom Animalia Order Anura Genus Pelophylax Higher classification Rana | Phylum Chordata Family Ranidae Scientific name Pelophylax cretensis Rank Species | |
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Similar Frog, Karpathos frog, Epirus water frog, Albanian water frog, Amphibians | ||
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.
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.