History and origin
The Iberian water frog was first described by Seoane in 1885, the scientific name of this species is Pelophylax perezi. Pelophylax is from Greek and is composed of two words, the first is 'mud' and the second is 'guardian' name given because these frogs never move far away from the water and they often stay immobile on the waters edge as if they were guarding the mud. Perezi is because Seoane dedicated this species to Perez, a Spanish naturalist.

Characteristics
They resemble the Marsh frog, identified from that species by their call and their vomerine teeth.

Description
=Size=
- Eggs: The eggs measure about 6 to 8 mm in diameter.
- Tadpoles: The tadpoles measure about 4 to 6 mm long when they first hatch, reaching a size of about 50 to 70 mm long before metamorphose.
- Juveniles: The juveniles measure 16 to 25 mm long at least when they exit the water.
- Adults: Males measure about 35 to 70 mm long where as females measure between 45 to 85 mm long (max. 100 mm long).
=Morphology=
- Eggs: They are laid in separate balls in a single cluster of about 800 to 10000 eggs.
- Tadpoles: They do not have a very tall tail, it ends in a rounded manor. Their tail does not come up onto the back.
- Adults: An average sized frog, quite svelte, their snout is rounded. Their skin is ripely The dorsolateral folds are very visible. Their hind feet webbing is average, they lack paratoid glands and their pupils are horizontal. They have a pair of external vocal sacs.
=Patterns & colours=
- Eggs: They are brownish on top and creamy or white on the underside.
- Tadpoles: They are greyish, brownish... their bellies are light creamy.
- Adults: They are very variable, in fact so variable that this is not a significant for identification, they can be uniform, dark in colour, or yellowish with regular or irregular dark spots or blotches. This species often has a light line running down the back. Their belly is whitish sometimes speckled with darker blotches. Their eyes are golden.

Geographical range
They are found in the Iberian peninsula and roughly the southern half of France except for the massif centrale.

Subspecies
None described.

Sexual differences
Males have nuptial pads on their hands which are greyish in colour. Males have a pair of external vocal sacs.

Seasonal variations
Males nuptial pads cary in colour being darker during the breeding season.

Diet
They feed on insects, spiders, small fish, other amphibians. Tadpoles feed on mainly vegetation and ants, but also eat micro-organisms, pollen...

Defensive habits
They will emit a defensive call if caught, otherwise they will jump into the water and hide.

Reproduction
The breeding season starts in March and usually ends in may, however there are more then one breeding seasons each year, usually at the end of the summer. Reproduction sites are any water habitats, the same ones in which lie this species. Males are seen sitting on an algae rock singing at each other as if they are running a singing competition. When a female comes within eye distance of our singing males, the singing stops and the most impatient males immediately swim over to her, they then take the female to an area in the water with many plants, sticks and in general a lot of vegetation. Then there is another competition between the males, but this time there's a judge, the female. They sing at each other an the one who has the most piercing sound should normally win the females wishes to breed. the winning male will climb onto the females back and hold her behind her front legs, the male wraps his arms around her and sometimes the males thumbs will come into contact. The female will then eject a small clutch of eggs which the male fertilizes on their way out of the female. After a short pause, the same happens again. If they are disturbed they will dive and separate, often swimming in the opposite direction, if the female comes to the surface and can't see the male she was just with, she will take another male and this procedure will reproduce until the female is empty.
This frog also interbreeds with Pelophylax ridibundus and Pelophylax kl. grafi

Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Pelophylax perezi is about 10 years, they reach their sexual maturity in their second year.

Habits
They are active by night and day. It heats up in the shallow end of their water hole in the sun light. When disturbed they will dive into the water, but can also be seen away from water, these specimens tend to be younger ones. They can hibernate in water or on land. Nice days may provoke an appearance in the middle of hibernation like the Montpellier snake, juveniles usually venture further away fro m the water then the adults.

Call
A rapid laugh like call 're...re...re...' up to 30 notes a second, each croak lasts for up to a 1.5 seconds, sound (p)www.oreilleverte.com:

Habitat
They live all year round in or around the water, they are the most common in calm parts of rivers, but also found in isolated ponds ad other wet areas. They are very common in slow flowing waterways. They hibernate in the water.

Predators
They are hunted by both Natrix species, the owl and many aquatic birds.