Photos of a few frogs from Taiwan

[numpty]

I have a thread in the Tree Frog section showing a few Taiwanese tree frogs (http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...ree-frogs.html), but didn't know where exactly to put pictures of other Anura I've been able to see in the field here. I guess this is as good a place as any. I've spotted a few more than I'm including in this selection, since the picture quality of some of my photos is pretty poor.


Bufo bankorensis, a species endemic to Taiwan. Can be quite bold ... it sometimes jumps right into my legs when I'm out spotting at night. Scary, man ...


Dutt... Duttaph... Duttaphrynus melanosticus. Man, those names! At one time this was classified as a nice easy Bufo. Those zany taxonomists and their renaming addiction! Anyway, widespread in Asia.


Fejervarya limnocharis, another scientific name that just rolls off the tongue, but which also goes by various common names across Asia ... the rice-field frog, the cricket frog, etc. Part of an ill-defined complex which may be split further in the future. Some pictures I have of this frog might actually be of something else, e.g. Fejervarya cancrivora, one of the few frogs that can tolerate salty water.


Limnonectes kuhlii. Another widespread frog within Asia, notable for having fangs, apparently. Not that you can see them here.


Rana latouchii. Widespread and common. You get all excited when you hear some frog calling in the bush, but then you recognize the familiar squeaking and grumbling and you sigh, "Just another Rana latouchii".


Hylarana guentheri. Common as muck, which is why I've never bothered getting a decent photo of one. Can be heard throughout the city, throughout the day and night, barking like a dog. Woof ... woof ...


Pelophylax fukienensis, the green pond frog. Looking similar to other Pelophylax that I've seen pictures of.


Microhyla fissipes. Almost indistinguishible from M. ornata, and also known as the ornate narrow-mouthed frog. The distinction between the two species seems to be vague and a bit arbitrary. Those taxonomists again! I was lucky to find these guys rasping away under the leaf litter during a torrential deluge. I haven't seen them any other time. I had to dig a bit under the leaves to find this guy and didn't want to bother any of the others, so I had to settle for this blurry pic.


Babina adenopleura, the olive frog. Honks a bit like a duck ... sometimes like the Roadrunner ...


Odorrana swinhoana, another endemic species. Nice green patterning on the back. Calls like a whistling bird, or so I've read ... I haven't looked for them in the breeding season.

I hope to add more photos in the future after more trips. Thanks for looking!

[herbaltree]

Lovely photos!
The colouration on the last frog is beautiful!

[numpty]

I recently had the chance to travel south of Taipei, so I was able to look for some species that don't live up in the hostile north. Unfortunately the trip was blighted by good weather, and I had limited time, so there were lots of species I wasn't able to spot. No Kaloula pulchra, for example. No grumbles from me though. I've updated my tree frog post with a couple of new species too.

First up, Microhyla heymonsi, a pretty narrow-mouth frog ... smallest of Taiwan's frogs, I think. Usually a bit tricky to see, but at this spot the leaves were very big and loosely scattered, so I was able to see the frogs easily and not disturb them too much. I camped in a field a few days later where they were all around in the grass and leaves but almost impossible to see ... boy, what a racket!



And Hynobius sonani, one of Taiwan's five species of salamander, all of which live at high altitude and all of which are endangered. I had to go up to 3,000m (10,000 feet) to see this. I got lucky though ... I was just bumbling around the general locale when I came across a group of zoology students collecting various species of local wildlife for studying and photographing. I ended up with more specific info on where to look than I would otherwise have had. I hope their specimens got back to nature okay ... they were looking a bit tired of getting prodded and poked into position when I saw them.



Thanks for looking!

[Namio]

Beautiful pictures and critters! I was born and raised in Taiwan but I've immigrated to California. Now I study the amphibians of northern California and ironically I knew nothing of the herps back home where I had grew up. Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience with us!

[numpty]

Beautiful pictures and critters! I was born and raised in Taiwan but I've immigrated to California. Now I study the amphibians of northern California and ironically I knew nothing of the herps back home where I had grew up. Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience with us!

My pleasure ... glad you liked them! I'll be making a trip to Manitoba in Canada in a couple of weeks, so I hope I can have a look at some North American amphibians while there too. Salamanders would be nice!

[John]

I envy you living near Hynobius. Beautiful salamanders.