Babina okinavana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	RANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Babina okinavana

Species Authority:

(Boettger, 1895)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ryukyu Brown Frog

Synonym/s:

Babina psaltes (Kuramoto, 1985)

Rana okinavana Boettger, 1895

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Endangered B1ab(iii,iv)+2ab(iii,iv) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Lue Kuangyang, Chou Wenhao, Yoshio Kaneko, Masafumi Matsui
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Endangered because its Extent of Occurrence is less than 5,000km2, and its Area Of Occupancy is less than 500km2, its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat and in its number of locations.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found in Nantou County and Yilan County in Taiwan, Province of China, and also on the Japanese islands of Ishigakijima and Iriomotejima.
Countries:	Native: Japan; Taiwan, Province of China
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is a rare species throughout its range, and populations on Ishigakijima and Iriomotojima in Japan are in decline.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in lowland and montane areas, inhabiting forests, marshes, pools and ditches with water plants. It breeds in nests in the mud banks surrounding ponds, pools and swamps. Egg masses are enclosed in a layer of jelly substance and are deposited in round holes constructed on wet muddy ground. Rains are vital because hatched larvae need to be flushed to the nearby waterbodies. The larvae use shallow puddles that receive continuing input from seepage or trickling water.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

It occurs in lowland and montane areas, inhabiting forests, marshes, pools and ditches with water plants. It breeds in nests in the mud banks surrounding ponds, pools and swamps. Egg masses are enclosed in a layer of jelly substance and are deposited in round holes constructed on wet muddy ground. Rains are vital because hatched larvae need to be flushed to the nearby waterbodies. The larvae use shallow puddles that receive continuing input from seepage or trickling water.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The disturbance of natural forests resulting in the failure of nest construction on muddy ground is a major threat to this species. The development of low-lying wetlands is a threat in the Japanese part of the range. It may also be at risk from competition with the introduced Bufo marinus in Japan.

Major Threat(s):

The disturbance of natural forests resulting in the failure of nest construction on muddy ground is a major threat to this species. The development of low-lying wetlands is a threat in the Japanese part of the range. It may also be at risk from competition with the introduced Bufo marinus in Japan.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The range of this species overlaps with a few protected areas. In Japan its range includes Iriomote Island which is now protected as a national park. In Taiwan, Province of China, it was discovered in Lienwachih Experimental Forestry Station, Nantou County. This area, having a small piece of undisturbed subtropical forest, is (or soon will be) protected by law.

Conservation Actions:

The range of this species overlaps with a few protected areas. In Japan its range includes Iriomote Island which is now protected as a national park. In Taiwan, Province of China, it was discovered in Lienwachih Experimental Forestry Station, Nantou County. This area, having a small piece of undisturbed subtropical forest, is (or soon will be) protected by law.

Citation:	Lue Kuangyang, Chou Wenhao, Yoshio Kaneko, Masafumi Matsui 2004. Babina okinavana. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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