SUMMARY
PREVALENCE: Rare
ACTIVE PERIOD: Active at night
KEY ID FEATURES: Long body with pointed snout, two white/gold stripes running down either side of the dorsum with an addition stripe running from snout to vent
SIZE: ~3cm
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 have a very long pointed snout and a thin elongated body, with a highly elongated fourth digit on the hind feet. They are most often brown with black blotches on the dorsum with green on the snout and head that occasionally extends further down the back and light brown fore and hindlimbs. The hind limbs are partially banded with dark markings and the forelimbs have black blotches. The most distinguishing feature are the two skin folds that run either side of the dorsum which are most often gold or white in color, and the additional white-gold stripe running from the snout vertebrally and terminating at the cloaca. It is from this feature set that their common name was derived. Their venter is white or light yellow from chin to abdomen, with the hind limbs skin opaque. Hind feet are partially webbed. Dorsally the hind limbs have thin skin folds. The tympanum is large and obvious, and there is a white stripe on the upper lip extending dorsolaterally terminating at the hind limbs.
HABITAT
They inhabit wetlands and marshes in several locations around Hong Kong and prefer resting in vegetation above or stagnant water bodies.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
CAUTION SHOULD TAKEN WHEN INTERACTING WITH AMPHIBIANS: The three-striped grass frog is unique in appearance and not easily confused with other species. It is possible to mistake a three-striped with a two-striped grass frog, which occurs sympatrically in some locations. The distinguishing features are, quite obviously the difference in number of stripes on the dorsum.