Editing Hula painted frog (section)

==Biology==
A mostly [[nocturnal]] and [[Solitary animal|solitary]] species, the Hula painted frog is most often seen after nightfall and does not aggregate with others of its kind. It is [[semiaquatic]] and frequently enters water, often observed submerged at night with only the snout protruding above the surface. On land, the Hula painted frog is known to dig into the ground, and has been found beneath {{convert|20|-|30|cm|in}} of decomposed leaf litter, though it does also inhabit [[burrow]]s made by other animals such as small [[mammal]]s or [[freshwater crab]]s.<ref name=":0" /> This species has robust arms which it uses to dig head first into the soil, its reinforced skull and stout upper body being well adapted to support this behavior.<ref name=":2" />

The Hula painted frog is a skittish animal, and has been noted to be more easily scared by human disturbance (such as the light of [[electric torches]]) than the Levant water frog (''[[Pelophylax bedriagae]]'') or the Savigny's treefrog (''[[Hyla savignyi]]''). When disturbed, it may retreat into the water and swim towards thickets of dense roots and aquatic plants, or burrow underground if the soil is loose enough for it to do so, while increasing the secretion of skin mucus to aid itself in moving through vegetation or soil. Individuals captured in gloved human hands have been recorded to freeze in motion before slowly jumping or walking forward in attempt to escape, and adults are known to utter a call when handled which sounds similar to the presumed advertisement calls of the species, but not as intense or regular.<ref name=":0" />

Surveys of this species at Yesud HaMa'ala have found that the population at this locality had a very high percentage of injury, with 28% of the 112 surveyed medium to large-sized individuals exhibiting minor injuries. Some of these injuries were recently inflicted while others were old, and were primarily on located on the hind legs. This combined with the low number of small individuals observed has been proposed to be a sign that the Hula painted frog faces high pressure from [[predation]] in its early life stages. Potential predators of the juveniles include invertebrates such as [[crustacean]]s, [[dragonfly nymph]]s, [[ground beetle]]s and [[wolf spider]]s, as well as vertebrates such as the [[western mosquitofish]], [[Levant water frog]] and [[Caspian turtle]], all of which are known to prey on amphibians and occur within the range of the Hula painted frog.<ref name=":0" /> Adult Hula painted frogs are a confirmed predator of smaller individuals, as shown by an instance of [[cannibalism]] recorded in individuals kept in a terrarium.<ref name="Naming1943" /> While its larger size presumably protects it from some of these predators, the adult Hula painted frog is not immune to predation, and is known to be taken by [[white-throated kingfisher]]s.<ref name="Nature" />

===Diet and feeding===
Like most other [[amphibian]]s, the Hula painted frog is a [[carnivore]] and feeds on other animals. While it has not been observed feeding in its natural habitat, scans of a specimen found dead in the wild revealed that its gut contents included the remains of four snails of the species ''[[Caracollina lenticula]]'' and a woodlouse of the species ''[[Porcellionides pruinosus]]''. Compared to most frogs, this species has a particularly reinforced skull and powerful jaw muscles, enabling it to exert a great amount of force when closing its jaws. This is believed to be an adaptation to [[durophagy]], allowing the frog to feed on hard-shelled prey such as the aforementioned snails and woodlice, and making the Hula painted frog a rare example of a frog species with such specialized feeding habits.<ref name=":2" /> It is also possible that this species will use its robust arms in feeding, as the frogs of the unrelated genus ''[[Paracassina]]'', which have similar skull and arm adaptations, have been proposed to remove snails from their shells by applying pressure to the shell using its arms while holding the snail in its jaws.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Drewes |first=Robert C. |last2=Roth |first2=Barry |date=1981-07-01 |title=Snail-eating frogs from the Ethiopian highlands: a new anuran specialization |url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/72/3/267/2658797?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=267–287 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1981.tb01573.x |issn=0024-4082|url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, this species is known to at least occasionally consume other prey, as there is a recorded instance of [[cannibalism]] in which one Hula painted frog swallowed a smaller individual while the two were kept in a terrarium.<ref name="Naming1943" />

===Vocalizations===
Two types of [[Amphibian vocalization|vocalizations]] are known to be produced by the Hula painted frog; one is presumably an advertisement call and is uttered by males at the surface of the water, and the other is a release call uttered by both sexes when handled. The latter sounds mostly similar to the former, but is not as intensely or regularly uttered. Although it is possible that this species can produce other vocalizations, the fact that it lacks externally visible [[vocal sac]]s suggests its calls are limited to communication over short distances. The presumed advertisement call lasts for 725 to 1212 milliseconds and is usually uttered in a series, with each call separated from the next by a short interval of silence lasting 246 to 1606 milliseconds. Each of these calls is composed of two notes; the first is produced by [[Expiration (breathing out)|expiration]] (breathing out) and lasts about 671 milliseconds, while the second is a shorter note produced by [[Inhalation|inspiration]] (breathing in) which lasts about 291 milliseconds. These two notes are consecutive, with no silent interval between them, and the second (inspiratory) note has a higher [[Sound intensity|intensity]] and lower [[frequency]] than the first (expiratory) note. Overall, the presumed advertisement call has a low intensity and frequency, with a dominant frequency peak averaged over the entire call of 775.5 [[hertz]].<ref name=":0" />

===Reproduction===
Although breeding has not been observed in Hula painted frogs, it has been theorized that the species has a prolonged [[breeding period]] which lasts at least from March to June, and possibly as long as from February to September since most adults are observed in water during this time. This is further supported by the fact that male Hula painted frogs develop prominent [[nuptial pad]]s and other [[keratinous]] outgrowths (which in other frogs are used to hold onto the female during [[amplexus]]) during these months, as well as records of tadpoles during May and August. The [[dissection]] of a female found dead in mid-January has shown that her body contained several hundred [[oocyte]]s, each around {{convert|1.5|-|2|mm|in}} in diameter and greyish-black in color. Reproduction in this species is presumably similar to that of frogs in the related genus ''[[Discoglossus]]'', which exhibit short, intense periods of inguinal amplexus (with the arms of the male clasped around the waist of the female), during which the female lays several batches of eggs in a body of water that adhere to plants, rocks or the bottom of the water body.<ref name=":0" />