Comparison of physical characteristics between Rana latouchtii and Rana adenopleura using grey system theory and Artificial Neural Network

In recent years, the threat to amphibians is becoming more and more serious. It is generally known that the loss of habitats caused by changes to the way land is used by human beings has hit amphibians particularly hard. The construction of concrete banks along rivers associated with human development has become a serious problem in Taiwan. Most ecosystems used by amphibians are lakes and stream banks, yet no related design solutions to accommodate the needs of amphibians. The need to develop the relevant design specification considering protecting the amphibians is imperative. However, before we can establish a new design specification, some preparation is needed. It is necessary to improve the understanding of the physical characteristics of the species before we know how to build a diversified and happy habitat for amphibians. In this study, two Ranidae Species, Rana latouchtii and Rana adenopleura were chosen for investigation. The above two species are generally regarded to be “close species” due to the similarities in their physical appearance and body sizes (Yang, 1998). However, there is no further material to understand how close they are. Therefore, it is interesting and important to further compare their physical characteristics of these two species. The goal of this study was to determine (1) the comparison of physical characteristics between Rana latouchtii and Rana adenopleura, (2) whether grey system theory can be used to improve the understandings of the relation between Rana latouchtii and Rana adenopleura, (3) whether Artificial Neural Network can be used to simulate the climbing behavior of frogs. The experimental results of the physical characteristics showed that the two species are really very close. Moreover, the numerical results of Artificial Neural Network do agree with this. Finally, it is known that the climbing ability and physical characteristics are necessary data to design a diversified biological environment for various species of frogs. The results of this study can serve as a reference for technicians involved in future ecological engineering designs of banks throughout the world.