Kaochahien Frog

Diagnosis: Odorrana schmackeri is a smaller species than Rana andersonii and R. margaratae, and is distinguishable from R. margaratae by the presence of a feeble tarsal fold and a larger tympanum, which is about three-fourths the length of the eye. O. schmackeri is distinguishable from R. andersonii by its smaller size and the presence of spines on the throat and thorax, whereas R. andersonii has spines only on the belly. Digital disks are also further developed in O. schmackeri than R. andersonii. The vocal sacs of male O. schmackeri may be discerned externally and the sides of the body are smoother than those of R. andersonii. O. schmackeri is characterized by very obvious brown or black round spots on the head and back, and such spotting is less consistent in R. andersonii (Liu 1950).Description: O. schmackeri has a snout-vent length of approximately 42 mm. It is characterized by the presence of vomerine teeth, an oblique loreal region that is somewhat concave, the nostril being closer to the snout than the eye, a narrow interorbital region, and a distinct tympanum. The canthus rostralis is obtuse. The first finger is longer than the second and the fingers have expanded discs. The toes are webbed and the species has an indistinct inner metatarsal tubercle, but no outer tubercle. The skin is smooth or slightly corrugated (Boulenger 1920).Coloration: It has a bluish green-grey dorsum, with black marbling. Its head and back also have brown or black spots. The sides have sharply defined round black spots and the limbs have dark cross-bars. The glandular fold below the tympanum is greenish white. The ventral sides are dirty white and the limbs are orange (Boulenger 1920). Variation: Males have vocal sacs and spines all over the throat, thorax and belly. The body length in males is in the range of 37-46 mm (Liu 1950).Species Authority: Boettger, 1892.Phylogenetic Relationships: The genus Odorrana and Eburana were initially both subgenera of Asian cascade frogs, within the genus Rana. After the first investigation of phylogenetics, Eburana was placed within Odorrana. In the light of phylogenetics, subgeneric reassessment of Southeast Asian Rana has been suggested (Matsui et al. 2005). Relationships within Odorrana have been found to coincide well with distribution patterns, indicating the Guizhou Plateau as the center from which the group radiated (Ye and Fei 2005)

O. schmackeri can be found in several provinces throughout central China, including in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces (Lau et al. 2004), particularly near torrent streams near Mount Huangshan in China (Yu et al. 2006).

O. schmackeri is an unstudied species of frog, but skin peptides from this species have been shown to have nucleic acid sequences that are encoded by hypervariable antimicrobial peptide-encoding domains (Chen et al. 2006). Odorrana schmackeri is capable of hearing much lower auditory frequencies than are heard by sympatric torrent species O. livida and Amolops tormotus. It does not respond to higher frequencies than 8.5 kHz, suggesting that the three species have unique responses to selection pressures (Yu et al. 2006).

O. schmackeri is threatened by dam construction, development and harvest for consumption. Additionally, it is a bycatch of fisheries (Lau et al. 2004).

Frogs are harvested for consumption and are a bycatch of fisheries (Lau et al. 2004)

Odorrana schmackeri (common names: Schmacker's frog, piebald odorous frog, Kaochahien frog) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to China and distributed in southern and south-central China. Reports from Thailand and Vietnam require confirmation.

Its natural habitats are streams of different sizes and the surrounding forests. It is considered as of "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although habitat loss and exploitation are threats to this species.

Male Odorrana schmackeri grow to a snout–vent length of about 44 mm (1.7 in) and females to 80 mm (3.1 in). Tadpoles are up to 45 mm (1.8 in) in length.