Dryophytes suweonensis, the Suweon treefrog or Suwon treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to the Korean Peninsula probably from the Imjin River to the Mangyeong River, south of Iksan.Borzée A., Yu SH. & Jang Y. (2016). Dryophytes suweonensis (Suweon Treefrog). Herpetological Review - Geographic Distribution Notes. 47, 3:418. Its distribution and population have been assessed to be below 800 individuals and the status of the species has been updated as Endangered by the IUCN. The natural habitat of the species has been generally transformed into rice fields and it is threatened by habitat loss.
The population size of the species has very strongly declined in population size, similarly to the sister species Dryophytes immaculatus and Dryophytes flaviventris.
The Suweon tree frog and the Japanese tree frog, which is also found in the same region, are the only two hylid species found on the Korean Peninsula. Factors distinguishing them include the frequency of the call,Jang, Y., Hahm, E. H., Lee, H. J., Park, S., Won, Y. J., & Choe, J. C. (2011). Geographic variation in advertisement calls in a tree frog species: gene flow and selection hypotheses. PLoS One, 6(8), e23297. calling behavior, webbing between the toes and the angle of the line between the eyes and nostrils.Borzée A., Park S., Kim A., Kim HT., & Jang Y. (2013). Morphometrics of two sympatric species of tree frogs in Korea: a morphological key for the critically endangered Hyla suweonensis in relation to H. japonica. Animal Cells and Systems, 17(5), 348-356. The type locality for the Suweon tree frog is a rice paddy near the Office of Rural Development in Suwon. It has a lifestyle similar to the Japanese tree frog, breeding in rice paddies. The species is not known to breed at any natural site, and microhabitat segregation differentiate them from the Japanese tree frog.Borzée A., Kim JY., da Cunha M.A.M., Lee D., Sin E., Oh S., Yi Y. & Jang Y. (2016). Temporal and spatial differentiation in microhabitat use: Implications for reproductive isolation and ecological niche specification. Integrative Zoology. 11, 5:375-387. The species is evolutionary significant due to its unusual ZW karyotype.Dufresnes C., Borzée A., Horn A., Stöck M., Ostini M., … & Perrin N. (2015) Sex-chromosome homomorphy in Palearctic tree frogs results from both turnovers and X-Y recombination. Molecular Biology & Evolution, msv113.
The Suweon tree frog is listed as an "Endangered category I species" in Korea on basis of its limited distribution range and small population size. Besides, it is known to display high prevalence of Chytrid Fungus. However, this frog has also been listed as an invasive species in the United States."Amphibians - Frogs/Toads" Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
See also List of amphibians of Korea
References