SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Uncommon

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Active at night

• KEY ID FEATURES: Enlarged tubercles on the top of each eye creating a tiny “horn”, mammalian “nipple-like” tubercles on chest

• SIZE: ~5cm

• IUCN: EN - Endangered

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

They are most commonly either grey or brown, but can also be brick red, light brown, yellow-brown or dark grey. Their body is covered in granules and small tubercles. They have a very characteristic dark “V” shaped marking on the head spanning between the two eyes. In addition, and though more subtile, there is a “V” or “Y” shaped arrangement of small tubercles on the back beginning from the top of each tympanum and terminating in the middle of the back. Short-legged frogs also have a distinct skin fold running from the back of each eye on the side of the head, over the top of the visible tympanum and terminating at the top of the forelimb on either side. There is a ridge from the front of each eye joining in a point between the nostrils forming the tip of the snout. The lower portion of the forelimbs display dark bands with lighter banding on the rear limbs. Perhaps most characteristic for the species are the single enlarged tubercles on the top of each eye creating a horn-like appearance. The lower forelimb and lower hindlimbs are also edged with connected tubercles or skin flaps, which, when the toad is laying flat on the ground with limbs tucked in, creates an organic edge similar to a leaf, which, combined with the ridges on the head, greatly aid their camouflage by breaking up their profile.

The short-legged horned frogs venter is dark under the chin with jagged irregular stripes that are lighter in color. The chest is darker than the chin with two very pronounced white tubercles that appear like mammalian “nipples”. The belly is dark with white or light yellow mottling which gradually increases toward the cloaca. The underside of the lower portion of the hindlimbs are dark brown or black extending all the way down to the feet.

Forelimbs have four digits with no webbing. The hindlimbs have five digits and highly reduced webbing barely visible, which is diagnostically unique to the short-legged horned frog and Lau’s leaf litter toad in Hong Kong.

HABITAT

The short-legged horned frog is a relatively small and cryptic species and as a result is less frequently encountered than many of the more common species, despite its relatively widespread distribution. They can most often be found in and around small clear flowing streams at mid to high elevation. In addition to their cryptic behavior they have incredibly effective camouflage, making them difficult to see even when calling nearby.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

CAUTION SHOULD TAKEN WHEN INTERACTING WITH AMPHIBIANS: The short-legged toad is very unique in appearance and not easily confused with other species in Hong Kong. It can be most easily identified by the prominent “horns” on top of each eye, and the “nipple-like" tubercles on the chest.