Hainan little ji frog. (Courtesy of Yang Jianhuan)
Hainan pseudo-toad. (Infographic)
Hainan turbulence frog. (Infographic)
Parrot Ridge tree frog. (Infographic)
With a rusty brown appearance, flexible four claws, and a petite body of only 23 mm in size, they sometimes lie tightly on rocks or crouch among dead branches and leaves for long periods of time, waiting for opportunities to catch prey. In the vibrant and dazzling nature, it is difficult for people to detect the existence of this small animal. This is the "new friend" that the scientific research team has recently discovered in the tropical rainforest area of Hainan Island - the Hainan Little Ji Frog.
How was the Hainan Little Ji frog discovered? What kind of habits does it have? How should humans protect this small animal? On March 18, a reporter from Hainan Daily interviewed Yang Jianhuan, senior director of nature conservation at Hong Kong's Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, to learn about the story of his scientific research team that discovered the Hainan Xiaoji frog and unravel the mystery of this "new friend" in the rainforest.
Provenance
It was discovered in 2012
Mistaken for Deli Little Ji Frog
Hong Kong's Kadoorie China Conservation Research Team is no stranger to most nature-loving friends. As a public welfare organization that promotes wildlife conservation and environmental education, the scientific research team of the institution shuttles through the mountain forests and wetland bays of Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia all year round, committed to protecting the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
"The Hainan Little Ji Frog was first discovered in 2012, but at that time we regarded it as the most widely documented Deli Little Ji Frog in the genus." Yang Jianhuan said that when he and his team came to Hainan in 2012 to conduct field research, they found the species in the Parrot Ridge area. Later, when the scientific research team went to the rainforest areas such as Jianfengling and Aoxianling, they noticed that the shape of this small frog was actually different from the Deli little frog that originated in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Subsequently, the scientific research team collected specimens, combined with morphological and molecular biological evidence analysis, to confirm that this small frog is a new species endemic to Hainan Island. "The size of the Deli little ji frog is more petite than the Hainan little ji frog, the maximum is only 20 mm, and the Deli little ji frog has several obvious black stripes and stripes on the body, while the Hainan little ji frog does not, which is the difference in their morphology." Yang Jianhuan said.
habit
It is different from the general frog call
It prefers to eat ants and small insects
According to reports, the Kadoorie China Conservation Research Team collected the sounds of males of Hainan Xiaoji frogs seeking to breed in nature. Amazingly, the call of this small animal sounds more like the small, pointed sound of a cricket, which is different from the cry of a frog we think of. In the petite Hainan little ji frog, there are still many mysterious habits to be revealed.
Yang Jianhuan introduced that the current research team has found that the distribution range of Hainan Xiaoji frog is relatively wide. Traces of the Hainan Xiaoji frog have been found in national nature reserves such as Aoxianling, Jianfengling and Parrot Ridge, as well as in the Jiaxi Provincial Nature Reserve in Ledong Li Autonomous County. The Hainan Little Ji frog is found from low altitude to high altitude. "For example, they can be found in the wastewater fields on the edge of mountain villages at an altitude of only 160 meters, to the puddles between forests at an altitude of 1470 meters." Yang Jianhuan said.
The Hainan little ji frog often inhabits mud nests, dirt pits or grasses near paddy fields and puddles, and prefers to eat termites, small insects and other organisms. Although the range of activities of the Hainan little ji frog looks extensive, in fact, it is not easy for humans to see them in daily life. "During the rainy season, usually after a torrential rain, the Hainan little ji frog will gather in the puddle between the forests, or in the deserted paddy field on the edge of the village, at this time the male Hainan little ji frog will attract the opposite sex with a long and high-pitched song. Humans can only then follow the sound to find their traces. Yang Jianhuan said.
protection
Reduce the use of contaminants
It is the greatest protection for it
Yang Jianhuan introduced that in addition to the scope of the nature reserve, The scientific research team of Kadoorie also found the Hainan Little Ji frog in the low-altitude suitable living environment outside the reserve. These populations of Hainan frogs outside the reserve are facing habitat loss and pollution caused by human activities. Therefore, according to the IUCN (IUCN) Species Red List endangerment level and standards, the research team believes that the Hainan Xiaoji frog should be a vulnerable species.
"Compared with other frogs, the Hainan little ji frog will be more sensitive to human behavior and activities." Yang Jianhuan said that the Hainan xiaoji frog within the scope of the nature reserve is well protected, but the Hainan xiaoji frog outside the nature reserve may overlap with the human activity area and will be disturbed by human behavior. It is hoped that local residents will use pesticides and other pollutants as little as possible in some crop planting areas and stream areas, so as to reduce the damage to the ecological environment such as wetlands and streams, and it is also a protection for the Hainan Xiaoji frog, as well as other amphibians and aquatic organisms.
According to reports, the genus is widely distributed, and has been recorded in northeast India, southern China, mainland Southeast Asia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. (Hainan Daily reporter Sun Hui intern Jiao Qing)
Species information
It belongs to the genus Of the amphibians of the family Anchovycephalus
Posture characteristics
Male frogs are about 23 mm–25 mm in size and females about 28 mm –30 mm in size
Distribution range
It is widely distributed and is found in national nature reserves such as AoxianLing, Jianfengling and Parrot Ridge, as well as in Jiaxi Provincial Nature Reserve in Ledong Li Autonomous County; from low altitude to high altitude, it is found
Call
A small, shrill sound similar to that of a cricket
This edition of cartography / Chen Haibing
Related Links
The number of endemic amphibians in Hainan increased to 14 species
Literature shows
Hainan Island present
Amphibians with exact records
There are 43 species
Among them, Hainan Island is endemic
There are 14 species
32.6% of the total
It can be seen that the endemicity of amphibians on Hainan Island is extremely high
In species conservation and research
It has a very special and important significance
The 14 endemic amphibians are
1. Hainan warty salamander
2. Hainan toad
3. Scaly toad
4. Hainan turbulence frog
5. Small turbulent frog
6. Fine-spined water frog
7. Hainan stink frog
8. Hainan piano frog
9. Crispy big-headed frog
10. Hainan Creek Tree Frog
11. Hainan Liu tree frog
12. Eye-spotted willow tree frog
13. Parrot Ridge Tree Frog
14. Hainan Little Ji Frog
(Zeng Yuhui/Finishing)