SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Uncommon

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Active at night

• KEY ID FEATURES: Highly distinct orange skin folds on either side of the dorsum

• SIZE: ~5.5cm

• IUCN: LC - Least Concern

GALLERY

IMPORTANT: Many frogs have significant variance in coloration and pattern even within the same species. There can also be extreme differences in appearance from juveniles to adults and some species appear very similar in maturity.

DESCRIPTION

The brown wood frog is a small to medium sized species with a restricted range. The head is equal to or slightly wider than the body. The snout is relatively short coming to a rounded point. The dorsum is brown with light brown or light orange spots and blotches. It is covered in granules with slightly larger tubercles most prominent on the posterior that are often red or orange in color. Highly distinct large orange or orange-brown skin folds run from behind each eye down the upper sides terminating prior to the hindlimbs. The flanks are white or light yellow with black spots and white bumps. The upper lip is white on either side. The tympanum is large and obvious. Forelimbs are light brown or orange-brown with dark brown blotches. The hindlimbs are brown with darker brown bands.

The venter is light yellow or white from chin to belly with no markings. Hindlimbs are opaque with small white spots around the cloaca.

It has four digits on the forelimbs with no webbing present. The first digit is elongated. Hindlimbs have five digits and small toe pads. Digits on the hind limbs have partial webbing.

HABITAT

They are normally found in healthy habitat like forests and wetlands at mid elevation.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

CAUTION SHOULD TAKEN WHEN INTERACTING WITH AMPHIBIANS: The brown wood frog is easily confused with the Gunther’s frog given its generally similar color and shape. The two most distinguishing features are the large orange skin folds on either side of the dorsum on the brown wood frog and the granules and tubercles on the brown wood frogs skin as opposed to the smooth skin of the Gunther’s frog. The Gunther’s frog is also larger in maturity than the brown wood frog and also has a longer snout and more narrow head relative to the body.