Papurana moluccana

Papurana moluccana is a species of true frog. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands (the Moluccas) of Indonesia;[1][2] specifically, it is known from Halmahera and Bacan.[1] Common name Moluccas frog has been coined for it.[2]

Moluccas frog
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Ranidae
Genus:	Papurana
Species:	P. moluccana
Binomial name
Papurana moluccana (Boettger, 1895)
Synonyms[2]
Rana moluccana Boettger, 1895 Hylarana moluccana Boettger, 1895 Sylvirana moluccana Boettger, 1895

Taxonomy

Based on molecular data, the previously very diverse genus Hylarana was split in several genera, many of them previously treated as subgenera, in 2015. Molecular data from Papurana moluccana was not included in the study, and therefore its placement in Papurana is provisional, pending more morphological and molecular data.[2][3]

Habitat and conservation

This presumably common species has been found in water-filled pits in a village. It can occur at elevations up to 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level. It might be threatened by logging. It is not known to occur in any protected areas.[1]

References

1. Stephen Richards; Djoko Iskandar (2004). "Papurana moluccana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58670A11822436. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58670A11822436.en.
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Papurana moluccana (Boettger, 1895)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
3. Oliver, Lauren A.; Prendini, Elizabeth; Kraus, Fred & Raxworthy, Christopher J. (2015). "Systematics and biogeography of the Hylarana frog (Anura: Ranidae) radiation across tropical Australasia, Southeast Asia, and Africa". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 90: 176–192. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.001. PMID 25987527.