Kingdom Animalia Order Anura Genus Pelophylax Higher classification Pelophylax | Phylum Chordata Family Ranidae Scientific name Pelophylax nigromaculatus Rank Species | |
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Similar Frog, Japanese tree frog, Daruma pond frog, Amphibians, Japanese wrinkled frog | ||
The dark-spotted frog, or black-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus, formerly Rana nigromaculata), is a species of true frog found in East Asia. It occurs across much of eastern and northeastern China, the Amur River valley in Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and most of Japan, although it does not occur on Hokkaidō. It has been considered the commonest of the true frogs on the Korean Peninsula, and has been hunted for food and used as an experimental animal. There is an introduced population in Turkmenistan.
The dark-spotted frog is a relatively low-altitude species, not being found above 2200 m. It ranges across a variety of habitats, from deserts and bushland to meadows and forests, and is typically found in or near stagnant or slow-moving water. Although relatively tolerant of human interference, it is increasingly threatened by hunting and water pollution.
Adults are 6–9 cm in length, the females somewhat larger than the males. Males have a single pair of vocal sacs. Mating season occurs from April to June. The eggs are deposited in quantities of 1800 to 3000, and are laid in shallow water.
Parasites of this frog include the opalinid Protoopalina pingi, in the rectum.