Amphibians
> Iberian painted frog
Discoglossus galganoi
Iberian painted frog looks like a frog but is a toad!
It is a medium-sized toad, whose length varies between 4.5 and 6.5 cm. It has a broad head, pointed snout, prominent eyes, with rounded or heart-shaped pupil and golden iris on the top.
The tympanum is barely perceptible, a characteristic that helps distinguish it from Iberian Green Frog - Pelophylax perez (these always have a well visible tympanum as well as a sharp longitudinal longitudinal line of green color).
The anterior limbs are robust, with 4 fingers and 3 palm tubers, of which the inner is more developed. The posterior limbs are long, adapted to the heel, with 5 fingers joined by interdigital membranes.
Adult of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
The brownish and/or greyish colour varies greatly, although there are three predominant types: 1) big, irregular and dark spots with clear edges, over a clear brown-greyish background; 2) a striped pattern consisting in a clear dorsal stripe and two bright lateral stripes over a dark and stained background; 3) a mottled pattern with irregular rounded spots and occasionally three longitudinal stripes, similar to the pattern of some green frogs. The triangle formed by the eyes and mouth usually has lighter shades. The belly is whitish and may have spots.
During mating season the male croaks a succession of ‘wroau-wroau-wroau-wroau’, which can only be heard standing close to the animal.
This taxon is closely related to D. jeanneae, and some authors consider them to be conspecific.
Behaviour
Species with predominant dusk habits, although it can also be daytime in the humid or rainy days, especially when it comes to juveniles. During the day it takes refuge among the vegetation or, more rarely, under rocks, on very humid substrate. It is active throughout the year, although with less intensity in the hotter and drier seasons.
Reproduction
The breeding period usually lasts from October to December, in this geographical area of the south west Coast of Portugal, since there is high geographic variability.
Female pregnant of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
The amplexus is inguinal and of short duration, occurring within water. The female mates successively with several males, depositing each time about 20 to 50 independent eggs.
The eggs are dark and spherical with the incubation period being about 2 to 9 days.
Eggs of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
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Eggs of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
Tadpoles of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
Tadpole of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
The metamorphosis is complete after 20 to 60 days and juveniles are very small (10-11mm).
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Tadpole of Discoglossus galganoi - Photo of Vasco Flores Cruz in Anfíbios e Répteis de Portugal
The maximum longevity of this species is around 10 years.
Feeding
The diet of adults is based on insects, spiders, snails, slugs, earthworms and even juveniles of the species itself. Tadpoles feed on vegetable matter and debris.
Its main predators include: water snake, numerous birds and some carnivores. Tadpoles can be preyed by larvae of aquatic insects, water snakes and other amphibians (urodelos - for example, southern marbled newt).
Its main defence mechanism is the escape, hiding in the water or between the herbaceous vegetation.
They occupy a large variety of environments, from the Montado and its stages of degradations, to pine forests and pastures with marshy land, riverside forests and coastal lagoons. During reproduction they look for low water level locations, whether natural or artificial.
It is generally found within or in the direct vicinity of water (with surrounding dense vegetation), including still waters, swamps, mountain streams, drinking troughs and sometimes-brackish waters.
The terrestrial habitats of the species occur on granite and other metamorphic rocks, and include sandy areas close to the sea, open areas, meadows, thickets, gulley's and woodland edges.
The species breeds, and larval development takes place, within shallow permanent or temporary waterbodies. It is often present in slightly modified areas, such as traditional farmland.
In Spain, it is abundant over much of its range (with the exception of the northeastern populations), while in Portugal the species can be locally abundant in fragmented populations.
It is found in the western half of the Iberian Peninsula, north from the river Guadalquivir, and it is found at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,940m asl (Piedrahita, Spain).
Jaime Bosch, Pedro Beja, Miguel Tejedo, Miguel Lizana, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Alfredo Salvador, Mario García-París, Ernesto Recuero Gil, Carmen Diaz Paniagua, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Rafael Marquez 2009. Discoglossus galganoi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 16 April 2015
This specie is vulnerable to habitat changes, such as the intensification of agricultural practices and the regularization of water flows, due to its dependency on temporary water masses for reproduction.
On the other hand, the introduction of exotic predators, especially the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii), may also affect its reproductive success, since this specie has preference for habitats without major water predators in order to reproduce, and its larvae do not have any defences that allow them to co-exist with this predator (Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Portugal).
Desertification is a threat to the species in the more arid parts of its range such as southern Portugal. Additionally, hydroelectric projects are leading to habitat loss in parts of Portugal.
It has the conservation status of ‘near threatened’ in the Red Book of Vertebrates of Portugal.
According to IUCN, the conservation status is Least Concern (LC) and has the population decreasing.
Jaime Bosch, Pedro Beja, Miguel Tejedo, Miguel Lizana, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Alfredo Salvador, Mario García-París, Ernesto Recuero Gil, Carmen Diaz Paniagua, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Rafael Marquez 2009. Discoglossus galganoi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 16 April 2015
This species is listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention and is also listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive. The species is protected by national legislation in Spain and is listed in the Spanish national Red Data Book.
