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Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 99 – January 2011

The Re-Discovery of the Palestinian or Hula Painted Frog (Discoglossus nigriventer, Mendelssohn and Steinitz 1943) in Palestine

By: Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Khalaf-von Jaffa

Palestinian or Hula Painted Frog female specimen that was found on 15 November 2011 at Lake

Hula, Palestine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_painted_frog.JPG

The Hula painted frog (Discoglossus nigriventer, Mendelssohn and Steinitz 1943),

sometimes also called the Palestinian painted frog, was thought to be extinct, but was

rediscovered in the Hula marshes in 2011. This elusive species of frog was never

widespread and now is nearly impossible to find because of its small numbers and

limited distribution.

Physical Description The Hula painted frog is one of only 12 known species of disc-tongued frogs. This family got its name because unlike most frogs that have long, thin tongues, they have flat, round, broad tongues. Adult Hulas that have been studied were about 2 inches

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Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 99 – January 2011

from snout to rear. Discoglossus nigriventer is named after its dark-coloured belly, which is speckled with white. The frog's back is blackish brown with reddish, olive, and gray stripes and spots. The skin on nigriventer's back is bumpy. Disc-tongued frogs' pupils are distinct because they are shaped like an inverted teardrop.

First Discovery The Hula painted frog was first found in and around Hula Lake in Palestine. Professor Heinrich Mendelssohn of Tel-Aviv University and Heinz Steinitz were the first to catalog the Discoglossus nigriventer species in 1940. They first collected four specimens for study in 1940 -- two adults and two tadpoles -- and found another adult frog in 1955. The tadpoles have since been lost and one of the adults, so only two preserved specimens remains in existence.

Presumed Extinction When Hula Lake was drained in the 1950s as an effort against malaria outbreaks in the region, one of the side effects was the supposed extinction of the Hula painted frog. Already limited as a species to such a small living area, the Hula painted frogs weren't expected to live long after their habitat was seriously cut down in size, from 14,800 acres of marshland to only 740 acres. While a section of the marshland was set aside for Hula Marsh Nature Reserve in the 1960s, this area did not include the locations where Discoglossus nigriventer had been previously recorded. Expeditions to find specimens in the Hula marsh, as well as countries neighbouring Palestine proved unfruitful, even after the lake was reflooded in the 1990s.

Ecology Because Discoglossus nigriventer is so rare, researchers know very little about its behaviour, breeding habits or preferred environments. Hula painted frogs are known to live near and in water of marshy areas and ponds. Because tadpoles were discovered, scientists know they go through a larval life process. After failed attempts to find breeding Hula painted frogs in the spring, researchers have determined it's possible these frogs breed in February and the tadpoles complete their development in March. Researchers also surmise that Discoglossus nigriventer spends a good deal of time on land, which is why expeditions focusing on watery habitats proved unrewarding. The Hula painted frog feeds largely on mosquitoes and their larvae, which the lake drainage project aimed to eliminate. It's likely the Hula painted frog has had difficulty rebounding because of the great number of water bird species in the Hula Lake marshes, who most likely eat the frogs, their tadpoles and their eggs.

Rediscovery After Lake Hula was reflooded in the 1990s, hope rose that the Palestinian painted frog would regain numbers. Many of the once-native animals returned, but when no Discoglossus nigriventer were spotted, the species was declared extinct in 1996 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. However, 15 years later a Hula

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Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 99 – January 2011

painted frog was spotted by chance and later confirmed. Nature and Parks Authority warden Yoram Malka happened across the frog when he was performing his routine duties at the Hula Marsh Reserve in November 2011. At the time of publication Discoglossus nigriventer is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

The Palestinian or Hula Painted Frog. www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22770959

References

HULA PAINTED FROG DESCRIPTION. http://animals.pawnation.com/hula-painted-frog-description-2303.html HULA PAINTED FROG. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_painted_frog Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (Gründer) (seit Februar 2007). Amphibien Amphibia: Der Treffpunkt für Amphibien-freunde. Yahoo! Deutschland Groups. http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/Amphibien_Amphibia/ Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (2007). The Extinction of the Palestinian or Hula Painted Frog (Discoglossus nigriventer, Mendelssohn and Steinitz 1943): The Result of Israeli Drainage of the Lake Hula. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Number 62, February 2007, Muharram 1428 AH. pp. 1-8. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. www.geocities.com/jaffacity/Hula_Painted_Frog.html Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (2007). The Palestinian Frogs and Toads. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Number 62, February 2007, Muharram 1428. pp. 9. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. www.geocities.com/jaffacity/Palestine_Frogs_Toads.html Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (2007). Das Aussterben der Palästinensischer Scheibenzüngler oder Hulesee-Scheibenzüngler (Discoglossus nigriventer, Mendelssohn und Steinitz 1943): Das Resultat der Israelischen Trockenlegung des Hulesees. Gazelle: Das Palästinensische Biologische Bulletin. Nummer 63, März 2007. Sharjah, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate.

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http://www.geocities.com/jaffacity/Hulesee_Scheibenzuengler.html Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (2011). The Re-Discovery of the Palestinian or Hula Painted Frog (Discoglossus nigriventer, Mendelssohn and Steinitz 1943) in Palestine. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Number 99, January 2011. pp. 1-3. (pp. 1-4 after revision in June 2013). Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/Amphibien_Amphibia/message/38 & http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fauna_Palaestina/message/89 Khalaf-von Jaffa, Dr. Norman Ali Bassam (2012). Fauna Palaestina – Part Two. Zoological Studies in Palestine between 1983 – 2009 / Fauna Palaestina - Teil Zwei. Zoologische Studien in Palästina zwischen 1983 – 2009. ISBN 978-9948-16-667-2.

1. Auflage / First Edition : July 2012, Shaaban 1433 H. 208 Seiten / Pages (Arabic Part 120 Pages and the English Part 88 Pages). Publisher: Dar Al Jundi Publishing House, Jerusalem, Palestine. http://dr-norman-ali-khalaf-books.webs.com/faunapalaestinapart2.htm Khalaf-von Jaffa, Dr. Norman Ali Bassam (2013). Fauna Palaestina – Part Three. Zoological Studies in Palestine between 2005 – 2012 / Fauna Palaestina - Teil Drei. Zoologische Studien in Palästina zwischen 2005 – 2012. ISBN 978-9950-383-35-7. Erste Auflage / First Edition : July 2013, Shaaban 1434 H. Publisher: Dar Al Jundi Publishing House, Jerusalem, Palestine. (In Publication). http://dr-norman-ali-khalaf-books.webs.com/faunapalaestinapart3.htm Morelle, Rebecca (Science reporter, BBC World Service) (2013). Rediscovered Hula painted frog 'is a living fossil'. 4 June 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22770959

The Hula Valley was drained in the 1950s, but scientists think the frogs remained hidden in

patches of the swampy habitat that remained. www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-

22770959