Hylarana, commonly known as golden-backed frogs, is a genus of true frogs found in tropical Asia. It was formerly considered highly diverse, containing around 84 to 96 valid species,[2] but taxonomic revision resulted in a major change in the contents of the genus, and today it is recognised as containing just four species.
Hylarana are small to large-sized frogs. Males have an average snout-vent length of 27 to 85 mm (1.1 to 3.3 in), while females range from 38 to 92 mm (1.5 to 3.6 in). The nares (nostrils) are oval in shape and covered by a flap of skin. The tympanum is visible but is not covered by a supratympanic fold. Vomerine teeth and a pineal ocellus (parietal eye) are present. The toes are webbed, but the fingers are not.[2]
Former members of the genus Hylarana ranged from Sri Lanka to the Western Ghats of India, through Nepal and southern China and Taiwan, down to Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, in Northern Australia, and tropical Africa.[3] Following taxonomic revisions, the genus is actually restricted to Southern and southeast Asia.[4]
Hylarana belongs to the subfamily Raninae of the true frog family Ranidae.[1] The generic name Hylarana derives from Neo-Latin hyle ('wood' or 'forest') and rana ('frog').[2] Hylarana was previously considered to be a subgenus of the genus Rana. It was recognized as a distinct genus in 2005.[5][3] Several genera were further split from Hylarana in 2006, and then treated again as junior synonyms of Hylarana.[1] In 2015, Oliver et al.[6] performed a major taxonomic re-assessment of Hylarana. Their taxonomic reassessment left just four of the former 80–100 species within the genus Hylarana sensu stricto. The rest were transferred to Abavorana, Amnirana, Chalcorana, Humerana, Hydrophylax, Indosylvirana, Papurana, Pulchrana, and Sylvirana.
Formerly, the genus consisted of around 84 to 96 valid species. Following a major re-classification, only four species are now recognised in the genus Hylarana:[4]
Following this revision, the genus assignment of several Hylarana species is now uncertain:[4]
Hylarana, commonly known as golden-backed frogs, is a genus of true frogs found in tropical Asia. It was formerly considered highly diverse, containing around 84 to 96 valid species, but taxonomic revision resulted in a major change in the contents of the genus, and today it is recognised as containing just four species.
