Israel Painted Frog Kevin J. Caley

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Israel Painted Frog  

Scientific Name:
Discoglossus nigriventer

Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:
Palestinian Painted Frog, Hula Painted Frog

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:
Israel

Historically found in the eastern shores of the Hula wetlands (Lake Hula) of Northern Israel, this frog is believed to be extinct. Conservationists have not given up though and hope that a surviving population can be found in the Golan Heights. It is described as an ochre colored frog with a dark belly dappled with white spots and measuring two inches in body length. Only two specimens have been found and studied in the last 60 years.

Little is known about the Israel painted frog's behavior. Preferred habitat seemed to have been freshwater swamp areas.

The wetlands where the Israel painted frog dwelled were drained for mainly agricultural purposes in the 1950s for making land more suitable for agriculture and also in an attempt to eradicate a malaria threat at the time. The remaining area was later set aside as a nature reserve in 1964, but this could not prevent the extinction of certain endemic species, including the Israel painted frog. The last specimen was seen in 1955.