Order Anura Genus Hyla Higher classification Hyla | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Hyla japonica Rank Species | |
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Similar Frog, Dark‑spotted frog, Rhacophorus schlegelii, Rhacophorus arboreus, Amphibians | ||
Japanese tree frogs hyla japonica 2016
The Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica) is a species of tree frog distributed from Hokkaidō to Yakushima in Japan and from Korea along the Ussuri River to northeastern China, northern Mongolia, and the southern Russian Far East.
Hyla japonica was formerly considered to be a subspecies of H. arborea (European tree frog). Animals from northern China, the Korean Peninsula, eastern Russia, and Mongolia have been considered to be a separate species H. ussuriensis, which would make H. japonica endemic to Japan.
These tree frogs are commonly found in rice paddies, and rest during the day on rice leaves and other broad-leaved vegetation. During the early evening, they are active and move to lights to catch the insects attracted to the lights.
Journalist Toyohiro Akiyama carried some Japanese tree frogs with him during his trip to the Mir space station in December 1990. Calling behavior of the species was used to create an algorithm for optimizing Wi-Fi networks.
