Amphibians · Anura · Rhacophoridae

Abah River Flying Frog

Rhacophorus nigropalmatus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

Wallace's flying frog is a species of anuran amphibian of the family Rhacophoridae. This frog lives in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has enormous, heavily webbed feet, which allow it to glide between trees. The huge webbing, sometimes classed as a kind of patagium, helps slow its fall when it leaps into space from a branch. Using this technique, it can glide distances of 15 metres.

Size

8 cm – 10 cm

Lifespan

15 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

Moderate

RainforestInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Near Threatened Amphibian Rainforest

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Fun facts

It glides more than fifteen metres by spreading the webbing of all four feet and flaps of skin along its flanks, and lands on adhesive pads on its toes that cushion the impact and let it grip the trunk.
It was described by Alfred Russel Wallace, the naturalist who arrived at the theory of natural selection independently of Darwin, during his eight years in the Malay archipelago.
Its eggs develop in foam nests that the pair whips up with their hind legs and sticks to branches over pools: on hatching, the tadpoles drop straight into the water.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Canopy of primary rainforest of the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in pools beneath foam nests
Litter / clutch size: 100 eggs

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