Rhacophorus or flying frog or gliding frog is a natural marvel, which can be considered as our understanding behind various adventurous activities like gliding and sailing, understanding the physics of this animal can give clue to as to how we are able to sail and glide through air and enjoy beautiful views.

1. RHACOPHORUS (FLYING FROG)
-AN EVOLUTIONARY MIRACLE
By Pranjal Gupta
Bsc(H)Zoology
Ramjas College

2. CLASSIFICATION
 Phylum: Chordata
(Presence of notochord,nerve cord and pharyngeal gill slits)
 Subphylum:Vertebrata
(vertebral column, distinct cranium, paired appendages, brain and spinal
cord)
 Superclass:Gnathostomata
(Having true jaws and paired appendages)
 Class:Amphibia
(Lives on both on land and in water, skin soft, slimy & naked, pentadactyl
limbs without claws, respiration by integument, gills or lungs, 3
chambered heart, external ear absent, poikilotherm, skull dicondylic,
external fertilization)
 Subclass: Lissamphibia
(Modern amphibians without exoskeleton)
 Order: Anura
(Pentadactylous unequal limbs,tail absent)

3. SO, HOW DOES A FLYING FROG LOOK LIKE ?

4. HABIT AND HABITAT
 It is an arboreal amphibian.
 It is quiet active during twilight.
 It has power of rapid color
change-protective coloration.
 It is found prominently in Africa,
South Eastern Asia, Japan and
Madagascar.
 India’s famous flying frog
species is Malabar’s gliding frog
(Rhacophorus malabaricus)
 It is well known for building foam
nest.

5. EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY
Webbed feet
(Pentadactyl)
Hind leg
Trunk
Cloaca
Fore limb
Adhesive disc
Intercalary
cartilage
Nostril
Tympanum

6. RHACOPHORUS:DISTINCT FEATURES
 Body is slender. Belly narrows posteriorly.
 Head broad and conical, eyes with eyelids.
Tympanum behind head.
 Sexual dimorphism
 Hind limbs contain intercalary cartilages
 It leaps upto 6-10m in mid air from trees to escape
predators.
 It builds foam nest.
 These are carnivorous

7. GENERAL ANATOMY OF A FROG

9. SKELETON OF FROG-AN AID TO ITS ADAPTATION

11. AERODYNAMICS & MANEUVERABILITY
Source: MICHAEL G. MCCAY University of California – Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology

13. REPRODUCTION
Small male climbs on the female’s back, grasps it by its front legs
& externally fertilize it(Amplexus). After this, female forms
a foam nest above shallow water and lay eggs which is protected by
male. Some species are phytotelm breeders.

14. DEVELOPMENT
R.vampyrus tadpole has fangs

15. An unusual friendship between Wallace’s Tree frog and African land Snail. Pictures
captured by Hendy MP in Sambas, Indonesia.
SOMETHING INTERESTING…

18. THREATS &CONSERVATION
 Deforestation and further
degradation of rainforest
habitat constitute the most
significant threats. Agro-
industry farming also
contributes to it.
 It occurs in a number of
protected areas. Safeguarding
the integrity of protected areas
is a primary objective which
includes land & water
management.
Data according the IUCN
Red list.

19. COMPARATIVE EVOLUTION OF FLYING FROGS
• It Parachutes through air.
• It belongs to family
hylidae
Golden Tree frog
(Polypedates
leucomystax)
• It Paraglides through air.
• It belongs to family
hylidae
Javan Tree frog
(Litoria javana)
• It is an example of
aeronautical perfection in
anurans.
• It belongs to family
Rhacophoridae.
Wallace’s flying
frog
(Rhacophorus
nigropalmatus)

20. THANK YOU