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All content in this area was uploaded by Adel A. Ibrahim on Jul 10, 2023
Content may be subject to copyright.
Content uploaded by Adel A. Ibrahim
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All content in this area was uploaded by Adel A. Ibrahim on Jul 09, 2023
Content may be subject to copyright.
The Levant Green Frog, Pelophylax bedriagae
(Fig. 1) was reported in Egypt for the first
time by Marx (1968). In Sinai, green frogs
were collected for the first time by the author
in 1987. One specimen was deposited in the
Natural History Museum, London (BMNH
1987.2323), and another later in the National
Museum of Natural History, Paris (MNHN
1989.673). These specimens were collected
from Rafah, at the extreme northeast of Sinai
(N 31.19 E 34.13). Later, several individuals
were collected from Sheikh Zowayid ~20 km
W. Rafah (N 31.13 E 34.06). No more frogs
were observed outside of this narrow range
(Saleh, 1997; Baha El Din, 2006) until their
discovery on the east bank of the Suez Canal,
which is the extreme western boundary of
the Sinai Peninsula. In the Suez Canal zone,
P. bedriagae was discovered for the first time
near Ismailia City (N 30.38 E 32.15) on 22 June
2008, when some individuals were observed in
a creek supporting a dense reed community.
On 21 April 2009, a large number of frogs were
observed in large natural swamps with reeds
in the Homaydat village near Serapeum (N
30.27 E 32.17); the chorus heard during spring
and early summer was noticeably intense. One
of these frogs was captured and deposited in
Paris (MNHN 2009.0252). On 28 April 2009,
frogs were recorded in a natural swamp ~13
km south of Ismailia (N 30.32 E 32.14). In
the Ferdan area ~10 km north of Ismailia (N
30.40, E 32.18), frogs were observed in creeks
originating from the fresh water canal on
Herpetology Notes, volume 4: 331-332 (2011) (published online on 20 October 2011)
First record of Pelophylax bedriagae (Amphibia; Ranidae)
in the Suez Canal region, Egypt
Adel Abdush-Shakour Assayed Ibrahim
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science at
Suez, Suez Canal University, 43527 Suez, Egypt;
e-mail: dolaibrahim@yahoo.com
Figure 1. Pelophylax bedriagae, Manzala Lake, N 31.18 E 31.53 (photo: Adel Ibrahim)
Adel A. Ibrahim
332
25 June 2009. On the east bank of the Suez
Canal, a few individuals were observed in
a small pool with some reeds close to water
pump station at At-Taqaddom village (N 30.37
E 32.22) during July 2010. This is the only
place on the east bank of the Suez Canal that
the author observed the species. As a result
of this record, the range of P. bedriagae may
be increased by about 180 km (straight line)
from its nearest previously known locality in
north-eastern Sinai (Fig. 2). Two reasons lie
behind the failure to previously discover this
frog in the Suez Canal area: firstly, this region
has long been a site of military operations
and most of it remains under military control.
This situation provided, for a long time, a
disincentive for researchers to approach the
Suez Canal and to search its banks for animals.
The second reason is the recent appearance of
natural swamps with suitable habitat for frogs
(reed communities) that did not exist three
decades previously. Examples include those
in Serapeum, on the west bank of the Canal,
and At-Taqaddom on the east bank. Also, the
area in which the frog was first discovered near
Ismailia was previously a desert. Reclamation
of land and establishment of creeks in this
area are the main reasons for the appearance
of this frog. In conclusion, P. bedriagae was
discovered on both banks of the Suez Canal as
a result of the development of natural swamps
and establishment of man-made irrigation
channels. Most of these water bodies did not
exist a few decades ago.
Acknowledgements. I thank Dr. Kraig Adler for editing the early
draft of this note and Philip de Pous for his help in drawing the
location map. Jamie Carr kindly improved the linguistics of the
manuscript.
References
Baha El Din, S.M. (2006): A guide to the Reptiles and Amphibi-
ans of Egypt. Amer. Univ. in Cairo press, pp. 359.
Marx, H. (1968). Checklist of the reptiles and amphibians of
Egypt. U. S. Naval Med. Res. Unit No. 3, Cairo, pp. 51.
Saleh, M.A. (1997). Amphibians and Reptiles of Egypt. Publ.
Nat. Biodiv. Unit No. 6, pp. 234.
Figure 2. Distribution map of Pelophylax bedriagae in the
Suez Canal region and Sinai, Egypt, with an indication of
rivers and waterbodies. Exact coordinates of each locality are
presented in the text.
Accepted by Philip de Pous
