The Rana Italica, is a frog of the family Ranidae, endemic to Italy. It lives in areas Sic, including the Vallone Porto di Positano and has been observed within the Reserve Valle delle Ferriere but also in the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano.
Belongs to the group of so-called "red frogs." This term refers to a number of species of the genus Rana with some special features in common such as coloring, habits and especially the "temporal spot" that distinguishes them from "normal "green frogs. The Rana italica is located mostly in cold streams in the hills or in the mountains and wooded areas but also in damp caves, sinks it is always near water. Like all other frogs it feeds mostly on insects and in general everything that it can capture.
The size of the frog is up to 7-7.5 cm, it usually has a reddish coloration, but it can vary from light beige, yellowish brown or greenish. The throat is dark colored with a central irregular line, behind the eyes there are two dark stripes. On the back there can be small blacks points or sometimes a dark pattern as an inverted V.
Like all amphibians also Rana italica is active only during the warmer months of the year, from November to February it is burrowing itself underground and when spring comes the males are the first to return to the water and to the active life, and immediately they begin to croak to attract females, who join them after a few days. The croaking of R. Italic is a ventriloquist sound, much like the barking of a dog.
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Notes
Andreone, F. 2004. Rana italica. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Versione 2010.1