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Family : RHACOPHORIDAE
Species : Philautus vermiculatus
Size (snout to vent) : up to 35 mm
The Vermiculate Bush frog
inhabits hill or montane wet forests in the Malay Peninsula. It is typically
found clinging to the narrow stems of forest floor plants or perched on
leaves.
Its body shape is rather short and fat, with a large head and moderately
large eyes. The tips of the fingers and toes bear round disks.
Its colour varies from orange-brown to greenish with heavy mottling and
thin, wavy lines (the term vermiculate means 'marked with irregular
fine lines or with wavy impressed lines'). The inner thighs are
yellowish-orange mottled with dark blotches, and the belly is also
yellowish-orange.
The Vermiculate Bush Frog occurs mainly in Peninsular Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia it is known
from Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut), Cameron Highlands, Fraser's Hill and Gunung Tahan (which
lies within Taman Negara).
The species is also recorded in the extreme south of Thailand (Chan-ard,
2003).
Figs 1 and 2 : Specimen in humid, lower montane forest at Maxwell Hill,
Perak, Peninsular Malaysia, at an elevation of 1050 metres. Photos
thanks to Noel Thomas.
References :
Bossuyt, F. and Dubois, A. 2001. A review of the frog genus Philautus
Gistel, 1848 (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae, Rhacophorinae). Zeylanica.
Vol 6 : 1, pp 112.
Chan-ard, T. 2003. A Photographic Guide to Amphibians in Thailand.
Kriangkrai Suwannapak, Bangkok.
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