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Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless credited to others.
Copyright © Ecology Asia 2025

 
     
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   
   
 
Three-striped Grass Frog 
Hylarana macrodactyla
   
   

Family : RANIDAE
Species : Hylarana macrodactyla
Size (snout to vent) :
Female 28.1–36.1 cm,  Male 25.4–27.1 cm
(Source: Hasan et al, 2019)

Hylarana macrodactyla (Three-striped Grass Frog, Guangdong Frog, Long-legged Frog) occurs in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia (the northern states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang) and parts of southern China (source: Amphibiaweb - see link below).

Wikipedia summarise the varied subtropical and tropical habitats occupied by this species as dry forest, moist lowland forest, moist montane forest, seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and irrigated land. It has been recorded from the lowlands up to 1500 metres elevation (IUCN, 2022).

This frog is reportedly difficult to find by day, as they hide amongst grass roots or in small, vacant burrows. At night they emerge to forage near waterbodies.

There is significant size difference between males and females. Hasan et al (2019) state that 'males are significantly smaller and have relatively shorter toes than females, but have a relatively wider distance between nostrils and a larger tympanum; females have relatively longer and larger forelimbs'.

This frog is easy to identify in the field. Its body is long and slender, typically with a continuous pale stripe along the vertebral line, and a parallel dorsolateral stripe on each side of the body. The skin is smooth, brownish or greenish. The limbs are yellowish brown with dark bands and blotches. 

The hind limbs and toes are exceedingly long, and the longest toes extend forwards to reach the front limbs when at rest. The species name 'macrodactyla' is derived from the words 'macros' and 'daktylos' in Greek, which mean 'long' and 'toe' respectively. This adaptation allows the frog to make huge leaps to evade a potential threat.

The diet of Hylarana macrodactyla comprises arthropods, insects and other invertebrates (Jaafar, 2009).


Fig 1 : Example found at night on a muddy track in degraded lowland forest at Siem Reap, Cambodia. It measured an estimated 2.5 to 3.0 cm total length. Photo thanks to Derek Clark

Fig 2 : Waterlogged lowland forest at Siem Reap, Cambodia. Seasonally flooded and waterlogged forest provides breeding grounds for Hylarana macrodactyla and other species.


References :

Hasan, M., Lai, J. S., Poyarkov, N. A., Ohler, A., Oliver, L. A., Kakehashi, R., ... & Sumida, M. (2019). Identification of Hylarana tytleri (Theobald, 1868): elements for the systematics of the genus Hylarana Tschudi, 1838 (Anura, Ranidae). Alytes, 37(1-2), 1-30.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2022. Hylarana macrodactyla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T58652A63858375.

Jaafar, I., Chai, T. C., Sah, S. A. M., & Akil, M. A. M. M. (2009). Checklist and simple identification key for frogs and toads from district IV of the Mada scheme, Kedah, Malaysia. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 20(2), 49.


Links :

- AmphibiaWeb - Hylarana macrodactyla

- Wikipedia - Hylarana macrodactyla

Fig 1
 
©  Derek Clark

Fig 2