First Report on Erectile Claws in Asian Fanged Frog Limnonectes (Anura: Dicroglossidae)

Current Herpetology 2026 Open access

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Authors: Koshiro Eto, Kanto Nishikawa, Masafumi Matsui, Mohamad Yazid Hossman, Yusuf Abdul Rohman, Sotaro Hara
DOI: 10.5358/hsj.45.114
Cited by: 0
References: 10

Abstract

We briefly report the structure consisting of a claw-like phalanx with a distal bony nodule in toe tips of a fanged frog genus Limnonectes (Dicroglossidae) from Malaysian Borneo. The claw is normally covered by bony nodule under the skin, but when the frog is grasped, it comes out through the skin to scratch predators and competitors. By now, such a structure has been known only in African frogs of the family Arthroleptidae, whose remote phylogenetic position from Dicroglossidae suggests convergent origin of such a unique character in different Anuran lineages.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Amphibian and Reptile Biology Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies Fish Biology and Ecology Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Current Herpetology
Volume
45
Issue
1
Pages
114–118
Publication date
17 February 2026
Language
EN