SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Common

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Active at night

• KEY ID FEATURES: Thin orange stripes either side of the dorsum, 9cm in length when mature

• SIZE: ~8-9cm

• 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 head is more narrow than the body. The snout is long and triangular. The dorsum is brown and skin slightly rugose, but appears quite smooth. This species has two narrow dorsolateral skin folds that stand in relief largely due to their light brown or orange coloration. The sides are dark brown and clearly delineated from the dorsum by the reduced skin folds. The flanks are light yellow with black blotches. The upper and lower lips are light yellow standing in contrast to the dark brown coloration on the side of the head. The tympanum is dark brown and obvious. The back of the tympanum is outlined in a yellow skin fold that runs down terminating at the jaw. Upper forelimbs show small black strips at the joint with the body. Hindlimbs are light brown with dark brown banding.

The venter is white or light yellow under the chin transitioning in a gradient to light yellow on the belly. The skin on the underside of hindlimbs is opaque with some light yellow mottling.

They have four long digits on the forelimbs with no webbing present. The first digit is particularly elongated and roughly equal in length with the third. Hindlimbs have five digits and small toe pads. Digits on the hind limbs have near complete webbing, with the fourth digit only partially webbed.

HABITAT

Gunther’s frog is a medium sized species that is found all over Hong Kong and is a very common encounter. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats from wetlands, to farms, forest streams and even adjacent to human habitations.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

CAUTION SHOULD TAKEN WHEN INTERACTING WITH AMPHIBIANS: Gunther’s frog is easily confused with the brown wood frog given it’s 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 relatively 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 head that is more narrow than the body.