Taxonomy and Systematics. The relict leopard frog was described in 1875 from a single adult female likely collected within the Virgin River drainage in the vicinity of Saint Xxxxxx, Washington County, Utah (Cope 1875 in Xxxxxx 1929). On the basis of numerous gross morphological similarities, this frog is considered a member of the leopard frog complex, a group consisting of numerous species in North and Central America (Xxxxxx 1988). The taxonomy of relict leopard frogs, however, has a confused and controversial history that centered around 2 major uncertainties. One long-debated uncertainty is whether relict leopard frogs and Vegas Valley leopard frogs represent distinct species or a taxonomic synonymy (see Xxxxxxxx 1988 for review). The latter taxon was described from a series of specimens collected in the nearby Las Vegas Valley, Xxxxx County, Nevada (Stejneger 1893). The other uncertainty is whether extant populations of leopard frogs within the Virgin River drainage, in the general range of relict leopard frogs, represent disjunct populations of lowland leopard frogs, a species described in 1984 (Platz and Frost 1984). Both of these historical uncertainties raise questions about the evolutionary distinctiveness of remnant populations within the Virgin River drainage and adjacent areas. In a phylogenetic analysis, Xxxxxx et al. (2001) investigated evolutionary distinctiveness of leopard frog populations within the Virgin River drainage and adjacent areas in relationship to lowland leopard frogs from the main distribution of that taxon. Results showed that leopard frogs from the Virgin River south into Black Canyon of the Colorado River were genetically very similar, and that this group of populations was genetically distinct from lowland leopard frogs. Analysis of morphological characters of leopard frogs from the Virgin River and lowland leopard frogs from the primary range of that taxon showed that these 2 groups exhibit very similar appearances but represent opposite ends of a multivariate continuum. The type specimen of the relict leopard frog was very similar to samples collected from extant populations within the Virgin River drainage. Based on these results, Xxxxxx et al. (2001) concluded that populations from the Virgin River and Black Canyon area are relict leopard frogs. There are historical records of leopard frogs south of Black Canyon along the Colorado River and within the Imperial Valley in southern California. The closest known, recently extant population is fro...
Taxonomy and Systematics. The Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum (Xxxxxxx 1834) is one of 15 extant species of crane in the world. Within the family Gruidae, only two of the crane species are found in the Balearicinae Sub- Family, namely the Grey Crowned and Black Crowned Balearica pavonina Cranes. The most ancient of the cranes, crowned cranes pre-date the other extant crane species by tens of millions of years. Their coiled trachea producing a honking call and their long hind toe or hallux, providing crowned cranes with the ability to grasp onto structures for roosting or perching, are unique characteristics in this crane sub- family. Grey Crowned Cranes have two sub-species, namely the East African B.r. gibbericeps and the Southern African B.r.regulorum Grey Crowned Cranes. Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae Sub-family: Balearicinae Genus: Balearica Species: regulorum Sub species: regulorum and gibbericeps Alternative names: Crested Crane; French: Grue couronnée
