Common Southeast Asian Tree Frog
Polypedates leucomystax
To protect their eggs, breeding pairs whip up a soapy foam nest on vegetation hanging directly over water, allowing hatched tadpoles to drop safely into the pool below.
- Scientific name
- Polypedates leucomystax
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Amphibia › Anura › Rhacophoridae › Polypedates
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist lowland forests, agricultural fields, swamps, gardens, and urban parks near standing water.
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates.
- Range
- Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
- Size
- 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) in length, with females being notably larger than males.
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Pesticide runoff, water pollution, and localized habitat destruction, though it is highly adaptable.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. It is safe to observe this frog from a close distance. Avoid handling them, as amphibians have highly permeable skin that easily absorbs toxins, salts, and oils from human hands. If contact occurs, wash your hands thoroughly with clean water and avoid touching your eyes to prevent mild irritation from their skin secretions.
Polypedates leucomystax is a species in the shrub frog family Rhacophoridae. It is known under numerous common names, including common tree frog , four-lined tree frog , golden tree frog or striped tree frog . Many past authors have united it with the common Indian tree frog in P. maculatus (or Rhacophorus maculatus , as was common in older times), but today they are generally considered distinct species. In its native range, it is also called "white-lipped tree frog", but...
Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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