• Source: Concave-eared torrent frog

    • Odorrana tormota, also known as the concave-eared torrent frog, is a species of frog native to China. Its distribution is restricted to Huangshan Mountains in Anhui and Jiande and Anji counties in northern Zhejiang. It occurs in fast-flowing streams and the surrounding habitats, and breeds in streams. The informally assigned common name for frogs in this genus (and for frogs in certain other genera) is torrent frog.


    Taxonomy


    This species was formerly placed in the genus Amolops and later on separated in a monotypic genus Wurana. It was eventually recognized to belong in the genus Odorrana where it is perhaps closely related to O. versabilis and the long-snout torrent frog (O. nasica) which also was for long placed in Amolops. The informally assigned common name for frogs in this genus (and for frogs in certain other genera) is torrent frog


    Ultrasonic communication


    Concave-eared torrent frog is the first frog (and the first non-mammalian vertebrate) demonstrated to both produce and perceive ultrasonic frequencies. These frogs' preferred habitat is adjacent to rapidly moving water which produces perpetual low-frequency background noise. Thus, the use of high-frequency calls is believed to facilitate intraspecific communication within the frogs' noisy environment.
    Concave-eared torrent frogs have extremely thin eardrums recessed in their ears, which allows for the ear bones that connect the drum to sound processing part of the ear to be shorter and lighter. Most frogs have thick eardrums close to the surface of the skin and can only hear frequencies below 12 kilohertz. Concave-eared torrent frogs have been recorded chirping at 128 kHz.


    = Blinking communication

    =
    To overcome the noise of streams, female concave-eared torrent frogs use eyeblinks to communicate with males to initiate mating. This is the only case of the use of blinking outside humans and some primates.


    See also


    Hole-in-the-head frog (Huia cavitympanum)


    References



    Cai, Hong-xia; Che, Jing, Pang, Jun-feng; Zhao, Er-mi & Zhang, Ya-ping (2007): Paraphyly of Chinese Amolops (Anura, Ranidae) and phylogenetic position of the rare Chinese frog, Amolops tormotus. Zootaxa 1531: 49–55. PDF fulltext


    External links


    Data related to Odorrana tormota at Wikispecies
    Media related to Odorrana tormota at Wikimedia Commons

    Scientists Discover Reason Behind Ear Canal in Chinese Frog: Ultrasonic Communication
    Live Science: Ultrasonic Frogs Croak in Secret
    Science News for Kids: Ultrasonic Frogs Raise the Pitch

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