Beyond the Paddy Fields: Riparian Reed Beds as Essential Natural Habitat for the Critically Endangered Suweon Treefrog, <i>Dryophytes suweonensis</i>

ABSTRACT The Suweon treefrog ( Dryophytes suweonensis (Kuramoto, 1980)), a critically endangered amphibian endemic to the Korean Peninsula, is widely regarded as being closely associated with rice paddies. However, given that rice agriculture represents a relatively recent feature in the species' evolutionary history, strict dependence on this habitat warrants re‐examination. To assess habitat use during the non‐breeding season, we conducted intensive field surveys in Pyeongtaek, a core distribution area, during the pre‐breeding period of 2024. We detected 701 Suweon treefrogs, including 697 individuals within the 1.6 km 2 study area (436 frogs/km 2 ). No individuals were found inside rice paddies during the survey; instead, all were located on emergent vegetation within riparian waterways, with 97% occurring on the Common reed, Phragmites australis . These findings indicate that riparian reed habitats play a critical role during the non‐breeding season and may better reflect the species' ancestral ecological niche. Previous emphasis on rice paddies likely reflects a bias toward breeding‐season observations. Although rice paddies remain important breeding sites, conservation strategies focused solely on these habitats risk overlooking essential non‐breeding environments. We therefore recommend that conservation planning incorporate the protection and restoration of reed‐associated wetlands and that monitoring efforts encompass the full annual cycle. More broadly, our results highlight the need to reassess habitat associations in species traditionally considered dependent on anthropogenic environments.