Anomalies in the Coloration of Japanese Amphibians and Their Applications in Genetic Research

Color mutations and variations in amphibians are often found in the wild. They are potential subjects for genetic research, and are also a good indicator of environmental changes, because they normally occur during two distinct stages of the amphibian life cycle: in water, during the tadpole stage, and on land, after metamorphosis. However, reviews and compilations on the mutations and variations in wild-caught amphibians are scarce. Here, I present the color mutations and variations in Japanese frog species and show the results of our genetic analyses on the mechanisms of color expression and their implications.The author thanks the people listed in the materials and methods who collected the color mutations and variations and provided the pictures of the frogs