The Ecology of Rana species in relation to their Parasite Fauna

Abstract

This species, known as the ‘brown frog’ or ‘common frog’ in England, ‘grenouille rouse’ in France and ‘Gräsfröch’ in Germany, is the only species of Rana which is indigenous to the British Isles. It is a northern species and has a wide distribution over the greater part of Europe and palearctic Asia¹⁵⁴. In northern and central Europe it is common in the plains and mountains up to the level of perpetual snow and has been found as far as the Arctic Circle in Scandinavian countries. Its distribution extends eastwards through Russia and across the Kirghiz Steppes through Mongolia, Manchuria and northern China. Although not generally found in southern Europe, it occurs in Italy in the Alps, up to about 10 000 feet, and a sub-species, R. t. parvipalmata, is found in north-west Spain and the Pyrenees.