Hole-in-the-head frog

"Huia (frog)" redirects here. Not to be confused with Huia or Huia (plant).

Hole-in-the-head frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Huia
Yang, 1991
Species:
H. cavitympanum
Binomial name
Huia cavitympanum
(Boulenger, 1896)

The hole-in-the-head frog (Huia cavitympanum) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is the only member of the genus Huia.[2] It is found on the island of Borneo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and torrential rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1] The genus name honors Chinese herpetologist Shuchin Hu.[3]

H. cavitympanum is the only known species of frog to vocalize at only an ultrasonic level.[4] The frogs have eardrums recessed in the side of the skull, with an ear canal similar to mammals' anatomy. It appears to have evolved this higher pitch (more than 20 kHz) frequency of communication to circumvent the background noise of its waterfall habitat.

  1. ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Huia cavitympanum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T58302A114920217. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T58302A114920217.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Huia Yang, 1991". Amphibian Species of the World.
  3. ^ Yang, Datong. 杨大同; Yang, Datong 杨大同 (1991). Phylogenetic systematics of the Amolops group of ranid frogs of Southeastern Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands. Chicago, Ill: Field Museum of Natural History.
  4. ^ Arch, V.S.; Grafe, T.U.; Gridi-Papp, M; Narins, P.M. (2009). "Pure Ultrasonic Communication in an Endemic Bornean Frog". PLOS ONE. 4 (4): e5413. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.5413A. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005413. PMC 2671607. PMID 19401782.