Amphibians · Anura · Microhylidae

Malaysian Narrowmouth Toad

Kaloula pulchra

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Malaysian narrowmouth toad, also called the banded bullfrog, is a spherical microhylid with a tiny mouth, brown with orange bands, very common in gardens and urban areas of South-East Asia. When it feels threatened it inflates like a balloon and secretes a sticky, irritant substance that deters most predators.

Size

5 cm – 8 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestGrasslandInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Rainforest Temperate forest Grassland

13countries1same family

Fun facts

defensaIt can puff its body up markedly in defence, making it hard for a predator to swallow whole.
It inflates like a balloon until it doubles its volume when it feels threatened, wedging itself into its refuge and becoming impossible to swallow, while at the same time secreting a sticky, irritant mucus.
Its mouth is tiny in proportion to its body, an adaptation to eating termites and ants one at a time, which is practically all it consumes.
Its call is a deep, resonant bellow that has earned it the popular name of bullfrog in several Asian countries, and that it gives above all on nights of heavy rain.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Forest, gardens, rice fields and urban areas of southern and South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in temporary pools
Litter / clutch size: 1000 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaloula_pulchra