258 ANURA 



CHAP. 



This species has a much smaller range than the first two : 

 from France through Middle and Southern Germany, Switzerland, 

 and Lombardy to Hungary and Greece. The specific name refers 

 to the quick and long leaps of this pretty, or rather delicately 

 coloured frog, which prefers woods and wooded glens to large 

 open places. Their voice differs much from the croak of the 

 common Brown Frog, and agrees with that of R. arvalis, which 

 is transcribed by Boulenger, who has kept them alive, as a 

 rapidly uttered "co-co-co," or "cor-cor-cor." According to the same 

 authority, the pairing takes place as in R. temporaries, but is of 

 much shorter duration, the females usually resorting to the water 

 only at night and when quite ready to spawn. Specimens in 

 embrace are therefore seldom found in the daytime. The eggs 

 resemble those of R. temporaries in size, but they do not swell up 

 so much and they do not float. 



These three species of European brown frogs, difficult enough 

 to distinguish, have of late been increased by three more, thanks 

 to the sagacity of Boulenger. These latter inhabit South Europe, 

 and the males all lack the internal vocal sacs. 



R. iberica has a very small range, namely the north-western 

 portion of the Iberian peninsula, from the Tagus northwards into 

 Galicia, but south of the main extension of the Cantabrian 

 chain. The rest of the Peninsula south of these mountains has 

 no brown frogs, the only species of Rana being R. esculenta. 

 R. iberica is rather local, being restricted to those hilly and 

 mountainous districts which are well watered. A favourite haunt 

 is the numerous streams in the wooded parts of the Serra Gerez, 

 the red, disintegrated granite of which suits this little, extremely 

 active, and reddish frog to perfection. The prevailing ground- 

 colour varies according to the district, from pale to dark reddish 

 or orange brown, with red specks and larger, dark brown spots, 

 which in some specimens begin with the A-shaped mark between 

 the shoulders. Dark spots on the flanks are very variable ; the 

 hind-limbs show the usual darker cross-bars, and the temporal 

 region has the conspicuous dark patch. The ground-colour of 

 the under parts is whitish, suffused with a pink tinge, and the 

 throat is much speckled with brown ; the toes are pink. The 

 size of this pretty frog amounts to 2 inches. The breeding time 

 is the month of March. When caught and squeezed they emit a 

 slight " co-co-co." 



