First systematic analysis of marsh frog, Pelophylax ridibundus sensu lato (Pallas,1771) (Anura:Ranidae) in central Iran based on morphological, morphometric and histometric data

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

Fatemeh Fakharzadeh ¹

Mehran Dorostghoal ²

Zahra Ranjbari ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

² Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

10.22067/ijab.2025.94815.1108

Abstract

Although marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) is spread all over Iran except desert areas, but there is no systematic information about the populations of central Iran. Totally 35 specimens were collected from Aran-Bidgol and Najaf Abad from March 2021 to April 2022. Morphological results revealed high color polymorphism especially on the dorsal surface of their bodies. 15 morphometric characters were measured in this research. The result obtained from the t-test showed that there is no sexual dimorphism. Aran and Bidgol frogs had a larger body size than Najaf Abad. Results of Anova and discriminant analysis represented populations separation between the two regions. Histometric study showed the thickness of the skin on the dorsal surface of Najaf Abad frogs was more than Aran-Bidgol frogs. The number of serous and mucous glands in the dorsal and ventral skin of male and female Pelophylax ridibundus in Aran-Bidgol was significantly higher than that of Najaf Abad. This issue may be related to the desert climate (hot and dry) of Aran- Bidgol. In summary, systematic analysis of marsh frogs based on morphological, morphometric and histometric data showed significant differences between the marsh frogs of the two regions that can be related to the different geographical conditions.

Keywords

Histometry

Isfahan province

Morphology

Morphometry

Pelophylax ridibundus

Subjects

• Taxonomy
• Zoogeography

---