User:MacGyverMagic/In Progress/European tree frog


 * Please note that sections in bold have not yet been fully translated and that some translated sections may contain outdated information. Mgm|(talk) 10:41, Mar 14, 2005 (UTC)

The European tree frog (Hyla arborea) is a small frog that can grow 5 centimeters in size at most. It is the only member of the wide-spread tropical tree frog family that's indigenous to Europe (with the exception of the United Kingdom). Characteristic are the discs on the frog's feet which it uses to climb trees and hedges. The European tree frog also has a stripe on its flank that reaches from its nostrils to it's backside.

Historically, tree frogs were used as barometers because they'd respond to approaching rain by quacking.

Scientific synonyms

 * Rana arborea SWIVELING FIELD, 1605
 * Ranunculus viridis GESNER, 1617
 * Rana viridis LINNEAUS, 1746 (F.S. OD. I)
 * Calamita arboreus CUTTERS, 1799
 * Hyla viridis DAUDIN, 1803
 * Calamitas arborea A. RISSO, 1826
 * Hyas arborea WAGLER, 1830
 * Raganella arborea BONAPARTE, 1830
 * Dendrohyas arborea TSCHUDI, 1839
 * Dendrohyas viridis FITZINGER, 1843

Names

 * England - European tree frog
 * Germany - Europäischer Laubfrosch
 * Spain - Ranita de San Antonio
 * France - Rainette verte (R. arboricole)
 * Italy - Raganella comune
 * The Netherlands - Boomkikker

Adult animals
Both males and females animals reach sizes up to 45 millimeters, sometimes even 50, though that's rare. The smooth, shining, usually leaf-green top side and the white-yellowish to grey lower surface are separate by a black line against the green, which forms a loop at the hips. The head is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the pupil is horizontally elliptically and the eardrum clearly recognizable.

'''Leaves frogs can assume in rapid succession a quite differently colored appearance. The range of variation is enough here from light-grey over yellowish to dark green. Often one reads in this connection that the frog accordingly adapts its skin color of the respective color to the underground on which he straight is. The experiment of the physiologist CONVENTIONAL MAN contradicts that that lightgreen colored Hyliden did not accept dark color after operational removal of the eyes (CONVENTIONAL MAN 1926). Rather palpation attractions, which proceed from the document, have a substantial meaning on the skin color of the animal. If one brings lightgreen leaves frogs into a container, whose soil and walls are covered with wire gauze with felt or, the animals become rapidly dark. On smooth surfaces, like for example glass, on the other hand they remain lightgreen. These reactions are independent of color and brightness. In nature therefore a laubfrosch on a smooth sheet green, on rough bark becomes brown or grey. A certain role with the Ausfaerbung comes to the ambient temperature. Thus in principle, the more highly the outside temperature applies the, for the bright skin.''' Laubfrosch in natural environment '''The European laubfrosch has a outstanding detention and climbing ability. Many damp-membranous kinds of amphibian are general able at smooth surfaces of climbing even at glaswaenden up. They attach themselves thereby by means of the damp belly skin as well as the member mass lower surfaces at the respective surface. When to the climbing way of life leaves frogs possess adjustment additionally at the finger and tips of the toe small, roundish haftballen, which one can already see with the naked eye. When climbing at smooth surfaces the flexible stop of the fingers is pressed on the document and fixed by easy pulling arranged backwards. At the same time an output takes place from Gewebsfluessigkeit, which stays during the further progressive movement of the frog than tiny, liquid footprint on the document recognizably. With break-down of the dawn and the loud at night are to hear hard sounding call series.'''

'''The rhythmic "aepp... aepp... aepp..." is repeated four to six times in the second.'''

Spawn
Eggs are deposited mostly during mai, the earliest spawn has been observed is at the end of march. The clutches of spawn are as big as walnuts and are deposited in shallow places grown with water plants. Every clutch contains 10 to 50 eggs (out of a hundred?). The top of every egg is brown and the bottom yellowy white. The diameter of an egg lies between 1.5 to 2 millimeter. After the deposition the eggs come together in clutches in order that the animal pole, which is pigmented brown and yellow, points upward and the vegetativ pole, which is white and unpigmented, points downward. The time of development of the clutches depends on the prevailing water temperatures. Clutches that sink to the bottom of the water develop considerably slower than clutches which are exposed to the sunlight directly under the surface of the water.

Nutrition
'''Both during the germ development in the egg, and in the attaching stage after the slip, the nutrition of the larvae is adjusted still by the Dottervorrat deposited in the body. As soon as the Kaulquappen swims freely, they begin with the active food search. Generally they eat everything which them before the Raspelzaehnchen and Hornkiefer come. This microscopically small algae (Chlorophyceen,diatomeen) arepredominant as well as single-celled organisms and detritus from their direct environment. For this plants, stones as well as other substrate surfaces after food particles are grazed. Older larvae verzehren among other things also animal wastes, like for example dead fish, drowned Mollusken and land insects. When finding such sources of food the Kaulquappen is led obviously by smell and/or taste materials.'''

'''Like most kinds of amphibian, also the laubfrosch changes its nutrition over after the metamorphosis completely. The booty organisms, which he notices optically, must be alive i.d.R.. Important trip of the booty catch behavior is the movement sample of the booty animals. Thereby the optical borders are substantial, within those of the moved bodies to be noticed can. How for instance for humans the spokes of a turning Rades are not more individually noticed at high speed, then leaves frogs can recognize their booty animals not more, if these approach or fly past also to large speed either. If the booty is completely rainless against it, it is not recognized likewise as potential food.''' Laubfrosch on the seat control room '''The laubfrosch particularly goes in the late afternoon or in the dusk on food search. Insects of almost all existing kinds, beside it spiders and in exceptional cases, are eaten also small naked snails. Exact food investigations are present us from TESTER (1990) and CLAUSNITZER (1986). Therefore the principal part of the food consists of beetles (Coleoptera, 34.2 %) and Zweiflueglern (Diptera) as for example flies and mosquitoes (47.2 %). spiders (Araneae, 4.3 %), ants (Formicidae, 1.6 %), butterflies (Lepidoptera, 1.1 %) and cicadas (Cicadina, 1.1 %) represent a smaller portion.'''

Larvae
'''The upper fin seam is enough to between the eyes. The tail end is long and pointed running out. They possess a gold-greenish colouring. The overall length can amount to up to 50 millimeters.'''

Laubfrosch larva
Laich '''The eggs are set off in whale-nut-large, compact clumps at aquatic plants. The Eizahl for each clump amounts to 10 - 50 (100). The egg is two-colored, oberseits brown to helbraun to differentiate unterseits yellowish-white colored and thus well from the Unkenlaich to. The Eidurchmesser lies within the range of 1,5 to two millimeters. The embryos are lightyellowish colored.'''

Habitat and spreading
'''Leaves frog habitat RheinaueIn the course of their life leaves frogs stress most different aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For a successful and lastingly secured life cycle are the following biotope types (practice r) vital:'''

Fish-free small waters (call control room, Laichplatz as well as habitat for Laich and/or larvae) ''', grassland lowering, ephemere watersin secondary habitats (clay/tone and gravel pits, quarries) inundated pools, weiher, Huelben, separated oxbow at naturenear brooks and rivers, pressure water and tide hollows in the Auenbereich (s. fig.) Vegetation realms shallow water zones (metamorphosis and Reifehabitat) Litorale of ranges with aquatic plant companies of the federations Potamogetonion pectinati and as soon as Schilfroehrichte of the federation Phragmition australis.'''

Hibernation
'''As change-warm (a poikilothermes) animal H. needs arborea in our widths in principle frost-protected wintering places as for the example: Earth caves, heap of leaves, soil gap systems within the root range of deciduous trees as well as stone and soil columns (lining up soils within the range of coniferous trees are unsuitable due to their content of Huminstoffen for the hibernation). Occasionally also buildings of rooting mice and mole courses are visited as accomodation. Visiting of the winter accomodation depends on the respectively prevailing weather conditions. In the upper Rhine level the laubfrosch goes at the same time with the Gelbbauchunke (Bombina variegata) in October to the winter peace.'''

Endangerment
'''Leaves frogs are threatened as inhabitants of the culture landscape less by the direct access than by changes within their habitats for example by changes of use potentially. Examples for this are the transformation of grassland in field or the use of small waters as fischteich. A coexistence is to be excluded from fish and leaves frog occurrences not in principle.'''

'''With the dewatering of the Rheinauen and straightening numerous running waters at the beginning of this century the planar loss at suitable habitats already began. Strengthened habitat fragmenting by constantly rising structural measures (road construction, building of settlements) as well as continue intensive agriculture led under machine employment this downtrend until to the today's day without brakes. Apart from the actual habitat loss leaves frogs are endangered still additionally by the fact that they change frequently between the multiform habitats. Thus the frogs fall with their migrations also the traffic and/or the structural facilities at roads and ways as for example drainage mechanisms such as pits and Gullys to the victim. In particular young animal migrations experience thereby a substantial bleeding. Splintering formerly connected habitats leads also to increased losses under the adult animals. Because the distances between the individual biotopes continue to increase is substantially made more difficult, finding suitable habitats as well as changing between the Laichgewaessern within the reproduction period. Thus finally ever smaller develops, far from each other isolated laubfroschpopulations, which sometimes expire with suboptimalen living conditions after some time.'''

Protection status
'''FFH guideline - appendix 4 Federal protection of species regulation (BArtSchV) - 1 (particularly protected) Red list Federal Republic of Germany - 2 (strongly endangers)'''

Literature (selection)
BLAB, J., P. BRUEGGEMANN & H. SOUR (1991): Animals in the civilization landscape. Part II: Space integration and biotope use with reptiles and amphibians in the Drachenfelser Laendchen, 94 S.

CLAUSNITZER C & H-J. of CLAUSNITZER (1984): First results of a resettlement of the laubfrosches Hyla arborea (LINNAEUS, 1758) in the district Celle (Lower Saxony). (Salientia: Hylidae). Salamandra 20(1): 50-55.

CLAUSNITZER H-J. (1986): To the ecology and nutrition of the laubfrosches Hyla A. arborea (Linnaeus 1758) in the summer habitat (Salientia: Hylidae). Salamandra 22: 162-172.

CLAUSNITZER H.-J & F. BERNINGHAUSEN (1991): Results of many years of two renaturalizations of the laubfrosches with suggestions on the protection of species. Nature and landscape 6.

COMES, P. (1987): Qualitative and quantitative inventory collection of cross toad (Bufo calamita) and laubfrosch (Hyla arborea) in the upper Rhine level between Loerrach and Kehl. - Beih.Veroeff. Nature protection landscape conservation bath Wuertt. 41: 343-378.

DIERKING U. (1980): The laubfrosch - an endangered animal species in Schleswig-Holstein. Farmer sheet/land sheet 34/130(31): 3719-3720.

EIBL EIBESFELD, J. (1952): Comparative attitude studies at Anuren: 1. To the mating biology of the laubfrosches. - Z Tierpsychol. 9: 382-395.

VIOLONIST, A. (Hrsg.) (1995): The laubfrosch (Hyla arborea L.) - ecology and protection of species. - Mertensiella 6: Bonn, 200 S.

GLANDT, D. (2004): The laubfrosch - a king looks for his realm. Supplement of the magazine for Feldherpetologie 8, 128 S. Laurenti publishing house.

MORE GUENTHER, R. (1995): Spreading and habitats of the laubfrosches (Hyla arborea L.) in the Lands of the Federal Republic Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxonia-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxonia. In: VIOLONIST, A. (Hrsg.): The laubfrosch (Hyla arborea L.) - ecology and protection of species. - Mertensiella 6: 117-125.

MORE GUENTHER, R (HRSG.) (1996): The amphibians and reptiles of Germany, Gustav Fischer publishing house Jena, 825 S.

JEDICKE, E. (1993): The amphibians of Hessen. Ulmer publishing house Stuttgart, 152 S.

MANZKE And & R. PODLOUCKY (1995): The laubfrosch Hyla arborea L in Lower Saxony and Bremen - spreading, habitat, inventory situation. In: VIOLONIST, A. (Hrsg.) (1995): The laubfrosch (Hyla arborea) - ecology and protection of species. - Mertensiella 6: 57-72.

CUTTER, H. (1967): Calls and call behavior of the laubfrosches, Hyla arborea arborea (L). Magazine for see Physiol. 57: 174-189.

CUTTER, H. (1971): The controlling of the daily beginning of call with the laubfrosch, Hyla arborea arborea (L). - Oecologia 8: 310-320.

TESTER, U. (1990): Artenschuetzeri relevant aspects for the ecology of the laubfrosches (Hyla arborea). - Inauguraldissertation (Univ. Basel), 291 S.

TESTER, And & CHR. FLORY (1995): To the meaning of the biotope group with the protection of the laubfrosches (Hyla arborea L). In: Violonist, A. (Hrsg.): The laubfrosch (Hyla arborea) - ecology and protection of species. - Mertensiella 6: 27-39.

THIELCKE, G. (1987): Occurrence, requirements to the Laichgewaesser and protection of laubfrosch (Hyla arborea) and cross toad (Bufo calamita) in the district Konstanz. - Beih. Veroeff. Nature protection Landschaftspfl. Bath Wuertt. 41: 379-398.

Reference

 * Dutch Wikipedia article.
 * German Wikipedia article.