Thai National Parks

The Doi Chang Frog (Chaparana aenea) is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. Until Alain Dubois and Annemarie Ohler showed that Rana fansipani (alternative generic affiliations: Nanorana and Chaparana) is synonymous to Chaparana aenea, it was an endemic to Thailand, only known from one mountain north of Chiang Mai. After merger with R. fansipani, its distribution also covers Vietnam and China. Both species are rare and known from very few areas, but may turn out to be more widespread and common if looked after.

The generic affiliation of Chaparana aenea itself is disputed, with most sources currently using genus Nanorana, a practice also followed by IUCN.

Adult males of Doichang Frog are 65 - 77 mm in snout-vent length and have spines in several parts of their bodies, a male secondary sex characteristic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is potentially threatened by habitat loss, more so in Vietnam than in Thailand. At least Rana fansipani is believed to be eaten locally.

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