A Few Forest Frogs

---

Frogs? Amphibians? What’s the Fuss?

I have always loved frogs, ever since I was a little boy.

I still haven’t put my finger on what exactly mesmerises me so much. Is it their slippery skin, their hopping legs and huge eyes? Is it their diversity, the number of different body shapes and colours they exhibit? Is it that they have semi-permiable skin by which they absorb oxygen, that some lay eggs that are translucent so you can see the young develop? Is it that some frogs carry their tadpoles/froglets on their back or even in their mouths? Is it that they undergo a dramatic metamorphosis from tadpole to frog? Is it that they are found on every continent except Antarctica, and that amphibians have existed on Earth for over 300 million years? Or, is it that nearly 168 species are believed to have gone extinct in the last two decades and more than 43% of the world’s amphibian species are in decline?

It is all these things and more.

I believe frogs to be particularly worthy of our interest and conservation, especially due to the worrying global amphibian population declines that appear to be one of the most severe examples of the Holocene extinction. The unprecedented loss of amphibians will have severe implications for global biodiversity.

---

Finding Frogs in Borneo

During our recent visit to Danau Girang Field Centre in Borneo, I was desperate to get out at night and photograph as many frogs as possible. Walking up and down the track from the jetty to the Centre we saw many species. We also managed to join Juan (a researcher at the Centre) and a few local guides during their field work which gave me more time to search. The following are some of the species we encountered.

---

Species Encountered

---

Family: Dicroglossidae

Fejervarya limnocharis [ASIAN GRASS FROG]

Limnonectes finchi [ROUGH GUARDIAN FROG] with tadpoles

---

Family: Microhylidae

Metaphrynella sundana [BORNEAN TREE-HOLE FROG]

Microhyla perparva [LEAST NARROW-MOUTHED FROG]

---

Family: Ranidae

Hylarana megalonesa [WHITE-LIPPED FROG]

Hylarana glandulosa [ROUGH-SIDED FROG]

---

Family: Rhacophoridae

Kurixalus appendiculatus [FRILLED TREE FROG]

Polypedates colletti [COLLETT’S TREE FROG]

Polypedates leucomystax [FOUR-LINED TREE FROG]

Polypedates macrotis [DARK-EARED TREE FROG]

---

To see larger versions of the above photos, click on the thumbnails below.

Limnonectes finchi [ROUGH GUARDIAN FROG] with tadpoles

Polypedates colletti [COLLETT’S TREE FROG]

Kurixalus appendiculatus [FRILLED TREE FROG]

Polypedates leucomystax [FOUR-LINED TREE FROG]

Fejervarya limnocharis [ASIAN GRASS FROG]

Metaphrynella sundana [BORNEAN TREE-HOLE FROG]

Hylarana glandulosa [ROUGH-SIDED FROG]

Polypedates macrotis [DARK-EARED TREE FROG]

Hylarana megalonesa [WHITE-LIPPED FROG]

Microhyla perparva [LEAST NARROW-MOUTHED FROG]

Metaphrynella sundana [BORNEAN TREE-HOLE FROG]

---

Although we managed to see a good number of species, there were many more we didn’t come across. I guess you can’t see everything you want at once. The only remedy is a return visit and more time exploring the forest. Well then, until next time!

A Few Forest Frogs: https://zoomologyblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/a-few-forest-frogs/

---

Want to Read More?

If you’d like to read more about our trip to Borneo and the wildlife we encountered there, check out some of our other blog posts here:

---

References and Further Reading

Amphibia Website – https://amphibiaweb.org/declines/declines.html
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Asian Grass Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58275/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Bornean Tree-hole Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/57872/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Collett’s Tree Frog –  http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58942/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Dark-eared Tree Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58955/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Four-lined Tree Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58953/0(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red list Website, Frilled tree frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58972/0(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Least Narrow-mouthed Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/57888/0
(Retrieved 13 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Rough Guardian Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58333/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, Rough-sided Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58603/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

IUCN Red List Website, White-lipped Frog – http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/58568/0
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)

Wikipedia Website, Decline in Amphibian Populations – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_amphibian_populations
(Retrieved 8 November, 2017)