East_Asian_bullfrogs

Chinese edible frog

Chinese edible frog

Species of amphibian

For the vulnerable species of frog, see Chinese edible frog (Quasipaa).
"Taiwanese frog" redirects here. For other frog species found in Taiwan, see Frogs of Taiwan.

The Chinese edible frog (Hoplobatrachus chinensis), also known as East Asian bullfrog and Taiwanese frog, is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pasture land, rural gardens, urban areas, ponds, aquaculture ponds, open excavations, irrigated land, seasonally flooded agricultural land, and canals and ditches.[1] They breed in spring to early summer.[2]

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...

The domesticated Thai variety and wild Chinese populations of H. chinensis belong to two separate genetic lineages respectively.[3] Yu et al. (2015) suggest that H. chinensis may in fact be a cryptic species complex.[3]

Description

H. chinensis is a large, robust frog, up to 12 centimetres (4+1⁄2 inches) or more in snout-vent length.[2] Females are larger than males. They are primarily insectivores.[4]

Usage

The frogs are commonly found in wet markets, seafood markets, and pet stores. In wet markets, they are usually sold per piece or per kilogram. The medium-sized frogs are sold as pets in pet stores, and the smaller variant is sold as live food for arowanas. They are widely farmed in Sichuan, China, Malaysia, and Thailand.

These frogs, though much smaller than their Western counterparts, are used by Chinese to cook frog legs and by Filipinos who cook them for adobo dishes. The frog's forelimbs and hind legs are fried in oil, while in the adobo method (in which the entire frog is utilized), they are cooked in soy sauce and vinegar.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hoplobatrachus chinensis.
  1. [1]
    Arvin Diesmos, Peter Paul van Dijk, Robert Inger, Djoko Iskandar, Michael Wai Neng Lau, Zhao Ermi, Lu Shunqing, Geng Baorong, Lue Kuangyang, Yuan Zhigang, Gu Huiqing, Shi Haitao, Chou Wenhao (2004). "Hoplobatrachus rugulosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58300A11760194. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58300A11760194.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. [2]
    Lue, Kuang-Yang. "Hoplobatrachus rugulosus". BiotaTaiwanica. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  3. [3]
    Yu D, Zhang J, Li P, Zheng R, Shao C (2015) Do Cryptic Species Exist in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus? An Examination Using Four Nuclear Genes, the Cyt b Gene and the Complete MT Genome. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0124825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124825
  4. [4]
    Lin, Z.; Ji, X. (2005). "Sexual dimorphism in morphological traits and food habits in tiger frogs, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus in Lishui, Zhejiang" (PDF). Zoological Research. 26 (3): 255–262.
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