Pelophylax saharicus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	RANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pelophylax saharicus

Species Authority:

(Boulenger in Hartert, 1913)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Sahara Frog
French	–	Grenouille Verte D’afrique Du Nord
Spanish	–	Rana Verde Norteafricana

Synonym/s:

Pelophylax saharica Boulenger, 1913

Rana saharica Boulenger, 1913

Taxonomic Notes:

Prior to Uzzell (1982) (who provisionally resurrected the name), this species was considered to be a synonym of Pelophylax perezi, or, following Pasteur and Bons (1959), a synonym of P. ridibundus. Although northwest African members of the "P. esculentus" complex are here tentatively regarded as P. saharicus, Hemmer, Konrad and Bachmann (1980), suggested that two species were hybridizing in North Africa. Steinwarz and Schneider (1991), considered it probable that P. saharicus is a junior synonym of P. perezi.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

David Donaire-Barroso, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Alfredo Salvador, Mario García-París, Ernesto Recuero Gil, Tahar Slimani , El Hassan El Mouden, Philippe Geniez, Tahar Slimani, Ulrich Joger, Sherif Baha El Din

Reviewer/s:

Cox, N. and Temple, H.J. (Global Amphibian Assessment)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, its presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

History:

2006

–

Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is widely distributed (but with fragmented populations due to patchy available habitat) from northwestern Western Sahara, through Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla (Spain), Algeria (south to the Hoggar Massif), Tunisia, northern Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and northwestern Egypt (Siwa Oasis only). It has been introduced in Gran Canaria, Spain. The species has an altitudinal range of sea level to 2,670m asl.
Countries:	Native: Algeria; Egypt; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Morocco; Spain (Canary Is. - Introduced, Spanish North African Territories); Tunisia; Western Sahara
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is abundant where suitable wetland habitat exists, and it is the most common amphibian of the Maghreb region. It is localized and uncommon in Egypt (S. Baha El Din pers. comm.).
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is mostly confined to montane and wetland areas within its range. The species is largely aquatic, being found in and around streams, oasis pools, irrigation canals, lakes and other waterbodies. Eggs are deposited in water. It is not known whether or not the species can occur in modified habitats.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is presumed to have no major threats, although it might be locally threatened by over-exploitation of water resources, pollution and fragmentation of populations. There has been some loss of habitat around Ceuta and Melilla.

Major Threat(s):

The species is presumed to have no major threats, although it might be locally threatened by over-exploitation of water resources, pollution and fragmentation of populations. There has been some loss of habitat around Ceuta and Melilla.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention. It occurs in several protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

This species is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention. It occurs in several protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	Arano, B., Llorente, G.A., Montori, A., Buckley, D. and Herrero, P. 1998. Diversification in north-west African water frogs: molecular and morphological evidence. Herpetological Journal: 57-64. Bons, J. 1967. Recherche sur la biogéographie et la biologie des amphibiens et Reptiles du Maroc. Thèse Doct. Sci. Nat. Montpellier, CNRS. Bons, J. and Geniez, P. 1996. Amphibiens et reptiles du Maroc (Sahara Occidental compris) Atlas Biogéographique. Asociación Herpetológica Española, Barcelona, Spain. Buckley, D., Arano, B., Herrero, P. and Llorente, G.A. 1996. Population structure of Moroccan water frogs: genetic cohesion despite a fragmented distribution. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research: 173-179. Buckley, D., Arano, B., Herrero, P., Llorente, G.A. and Esteban, M. 1995. Moroccan water frogs vs Rana perezi: Allozyme studies show up their differences. Zool. Pol.: 365-375. Busack, S.D. 1986. Biogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna separated by the formation of the Strait of Gibraltar. National Geographic Research: 17-36. Esteban, M., García-París, M., Buckley, D. and Castanet, J. 1999. Bone growth and age in Rana saharica, a water frog living in a desert environment. Ann. Zool. Fennici: 53-62. Geniez, P., Mateo, J.A. and Bons, J. 2000. A checklist of amphibians and reptiles of Western Sahara (Amphibia, Reptilia). Herpetozoa: 149-163. Hemmer, H., Konrad, A., and Bachmann, K. 1980. Hybridization within the Rana ridibunda complex of North Africa. Amphibia-Reptilia: 41-48. IUCN. 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2009.1). Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 22 June 2009). Pasteur, G. and Bons, J. 1959. Les Batraciens du Maroc. Travaux de l'Institut scientifique chérifien, Série Zoologie: 1-241. Pleguezuelos, J.M. 1997. Distribucion y Biogeografia de los Anfibios y Reptiles en España y Portugal. Asociacion Herpetologica Española, Las Palmas de Gran Canarias. Pleguezuelos, J.M., Márquez, R. and Lizana, M. 2002. Atlas y Libro Rojo de los Anfibios y Reptiles de España. Dirección General de la Conservación de la naturaleza-Associación Herpetológica Española, Madrid. Plötner, J. 1998. Genetic diversity in mitochondrial 12S rDNA of western Palearctic water frogs (Anura, Ranidae) and implication for their systematics. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research: 191-201. Plötner, J. 2005. Die Westpaläarkischen Wasserfrösche von Märtyrern der Wissenschaft zur Biologischen Sensation. Laurenti-Verlag, Bielefeld. Salvador, A. 1996. Amphibians of northwest Africa. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service: 1-43. Schleich, H.H., Kästle, W. and Kabisch, K. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz scientific books, Koenigstein. Steinwarz, D. and Schneider, H. 1991. Distribution and bioacoustics of Rana perezi Seoane, 1885 (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) in Tunisia. Bonner Zoologische Beiträege: 283-297. Uzzell, T. 1982. Immunological relationship of western Palearctic water frogs (Salientia: Ranidae). Amphibia-Reptilia: 135-143.

Arano, B., Llorente, G.A., Montori, A., Buckley, D. and Herrero, P. 1998. Diversification in north-west African water frogs: molecular and morphological evidence. Herpetological Journal: 57-64.

Bons, J. 1967. Recherche sur la biogéographie et la biologie des amphibiens et Reptiles du Maroc. Thèse Doct. Sci. Nat. Montpellier, CNRS.

Bons, J. and Geniez, P. 1996. Amphibiens et reptiles du Maroc (Sahara Occidental compris) Atlas Biogéographique. Asociación Herpetológica Española, Barcelona, Spain.

Buckley, D., Arano, B., Herrero, P. and Llorente, G.A. 1996. Population structure of Moroccan water frogs: genetic cohesion despite a fragmented distribution. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research: 173-179.

Buckley, D., Arano, B., Herrero, P., Llorente, G.A. and Esteban, M. 1995. Moroccan water frogs vs Rana perezi: Allozyme studies show up their differences. Zool. Pol.: 365-375.

Busack, S.D. 1986. Biogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna separated by the formation of the Strait of Gibraltar. National Geographic Research: 17-36.

Esteban, M., García-París, M., Buckley, D. and Castanet, J. 1999. Bone growth and age in Rana saharica, a water frog living in a desert environment. Ann. Zool. Fennici: 53-62.

Geniez, P., Mateo, J.A. and Bons, J. 2000. A checklist of amphibians and reptiles of Western Sahara (Amphibia, Reptilia). Herpetozoa: 149-163.

Hemmer, H., Konrad, A., and Bachmann, K. 1980. Hybridization within the Rana ridibunda complex of North Africa. Amphibia-Reptilia: 41-48.

IUCN. 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2009.1). Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 22 June 2009).

Pasteur, G. and Bons, J. 1959. Les Batraciens du Maroc. Travaux de l'Institut scientifique chérifien, Série Zoologie: 1-241.

Pleguezuelos, J.M. 1997. Distribucion y Biogeografia de los Anfibios y Reptiles en España y Portugal. Asociacion Herpetologica Española, Las Palmas de Gran Canarias.

Pleguezuelos, J.M., Márquez, R. and Lizana, M. 2002. Atlas y Libro Rojo de los Anfibios y Reptiles de España. Dirección General de la Conservación de la naturaleza-Associación Herpetológica Española, Madrid.

Plötner, J. 1998. Genetic diversity in mitochondrial 12S rDNA of western Palearctic water frogs (Anura, Ranidae) and implication for their systematics. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research: 191-201.

Plötner, J. 2005. Die Westpaläarkischen Wasserfrösche von Märtyrern der Wissenschaft zur Biologischen Sensation. Laurenti-Verlag, Bielefeld.

Salvador, A. 1996. Amphibians of northwest Africa. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service: 1-43.

Schleich, H.H., Kästle, W. and Kabisch, K. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz scientific books, Koenigstein.

Steinwarz, D. and Schneider, H. 1991. Distribution and bioacoustics of Rana perezi Seoane, 1885 (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) in Tunisia. Bonner Zoologische Beiträege: 283-297.

Uzzell, T. 1982. Immunological relationship of western Palearctic water frogs (Salientia: Ranidae). Amphibia-Reptilia: 135-143.

Citation:	David Donaire-Barroso, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Alfredo Salvador, Mario García-París, Ernesto Recuero Gil, Tahar Slimani , El Hassan El Mouden, Philippe Geniez, Tahar Slimani, Ulrich Joger, Sherif Baha El Din 2009. Pelophylax saharicus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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