SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Rare

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Active at night

• KEY ID FEATURES: Large toe pads, flat profile, dark brown with light brown markings

• SIZE: ~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

They are a small to medium sized species, most commonly 5-6cm, and are very flat, a characteristic that helps them stay adhered to rocks while fast flowing water moves over and around them. An additional aid in this dynamic are the enlarged toe pads that are highly effective adherents to the wet rocks given their large surface area. The head is generally wider than the body, rounded and highly compact compared to other Hong Kong species. The dorsum is covered in large granules giving the skin a rough texture. The dorsum is generally dark brown with light brown markings. Limbs are light brown with dark bands.

The venter is white with brown mottling on the chin and chest and immaculate white on the abdomen with the skin on the fore and hind limbs opaque.

It has four digits on the forelimbs with large toe pads and no webbing present. Hindlimbs have five digits and large toe pads, though only about half the diameter for the forelimb digit toe pads. Digits on the hind limbs are completely webbed.

HABITAT

They reside in fast flowing clear mountain streams and are believed to feed mostly on insects. They are restricted to Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

CAUTION SHOULD TAKEN WHEN INTERACTING WITH AMPHIBIANS: It is possible to mistake the South China cascade frog for the Hong Kong cascade frog, however, the two species do not occur sympatrically with the Hong Kong cascade occurring in the New Territories and on Hong Kong Island, and the South China cascade occurring only on Lantau Island. They do differ slightly in size at maturity and color.