Cyclorana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cyclorana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Water-holding frog (Cyclorana platycephala) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Pelodryadidae |
| Genus: | Cyclorana Steindachner, 1867 |
| Species | |
|
13 species; see table | |
 | |
| The range of Cyclorana (in black) | |
Cyclorana is a genus of frogs in the family Pelodryadidae, whose members are found in most of Australia. It was formerly considered a separate genus, but reclassified following a major revision by Frost et al. in 2006[1], before being reclassified as a separate genus again in 2025[2]. Although classified as Australo-Papuan tree frogs, Cyclorana is entirely terrestrial and lacks toe pads, which their arboreal relatives use for climbing.
Cyclorana inhabits some of the most arid zones of Australia. Some species burrow underground and remain dormant for more than 5 years to survive drought conditions. They can store large amounts of water in their bladders, and form a "cocoon" around themselves to reduce loss of water, so are often called "water-holding frogs". They only return to the surface to breed and eat, and normally only after heavy summer rains. Eggs are normally laid in temporary water, and tadpoles develop quickly to metamorphose before the water completely evaporates.
