Abstract: To understand the habitat characteristics and habitat selectivity of wild animals is of great significance for the protection of their populations. The habitat characteristics of tiger frog (Hoplobatrachus chinensis), one of the second class national-level protected animals of China were studied at Nanxi River basin, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province in September 2013, and the habitat selection was analyzed by the methods of habitat preference index and principal component analysis. The results indicated that the preferred habitats of tiger frog are terrain with smooth and gentle slopes; the ground substrate types of silt and sand with high relative humidity; the vegetation types of rice and grass with moderate height and coverage; inhabiting area near small water bodies and far from large water bodies with slow flow rate, shallow depth, warmer temperature and good quality; inhabiting area near paddy field, moderately far from roads and far from the residential area. The main factors that affect the habitat selection of tiger frog include slope gradient and position, vegetation height and coverage, the ground substrate type and surface temperature, distance to water bodies, water temperature, water pH and dissolved oxygen content, distances to the croplands and roads.

Key words: urbanization, ecological stress, landscape pattern, ecological protection, regional ecological security