The Perez's frog (Pelophylax perezi), also known as Iberian waterfrog, Iberian green frog or Coruna frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is native to southern France, Portugal, Spain, and has been introduced to the Canary and Balearic Islands, Madeira, the United Kingdom, and the Azores. In the Iberian Peninsula it is widespread and common.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, sandy shores, arable land, and urban areas. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
The Iberian green frog, or Perez's frog, is a common amphibian in Spain, Portugal, and southern France that lives in and near aquatic habitats and has been introduced to islands like the Azores, Balearics, and Canaries. Key facts include that males are the primary singers, using a vocal sac on their throat to attract females, and the species is active during the day and night, feeding on a diet of insects, spiders, and worms.
Appearance: Adults range from 4 to 10 cm (1.6–4 inches) long and are typically greenish or brownish, often with darker spots. Some specimens may have a yellowish stripe down the back.
Activity: It is both diurnal and nocturnal and an agile jumper, often leaping into the water when disturbed.
Diet: It preys on insects, flies, beetles, spiders, and other invertebrates.
Vocalization: Only male frogs have a vocal sac to produce a call, which they use to attract females during the breeding season.
Habitat and reproduction
Habitat: The species thrives in a wide range of aquatic environments, including lakes, streams, swamps, and ditches, and can tolerate slightly brackish or saline water.
Reproduction:
Mating occurs in the water, with the male grasping the female from behind in a process called amplexus.
Females can lay thousands of eggs (up to 7,000 in some cases) in clumps attached to aquatic vegetation.
Eggs hatch in 5–8 days, and tadpoles take 8–12 weeks to metamorphose, though this can take the whole winter in some climates.
Distribution and conservation
Native range: Southern France, Spain, and Portugal.
Introduced range: The Azores, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and parts of the United Kingdom.
Threats: Population declines have been linked to factors like the disappearance of wetlands, droughts, and the introduction of non-native species that can hybridize with the Iberian green frog.
