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 granules giving the skin a rough texture. There are large tubercles on the flanks. The dorsum is generally brown or dark green with dark brown or black spots. 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.

The hands have large toe pads and no webbing present. The feet have five digits and large toe pads, though slightly smaller than the diameter for the pads on the hands. The feet are nearly completely webbed with only the fourth digit extending beyond the webbing.

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

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 frog occurring only on Lantau Island. They do differ slightly in appearance. The South China cascade frog is brown with black spots and bands on the limbs and the Hong Kong cascade frog is yellow or yellow-green with black spots and bands on the limbs. The South China cascade frog has black or dark brown mottling on the chin and chest and the Hong Kong cascade frog has a white chin and chest. Also, the Hong Kong cascade frog has complete webbing on the feet, whereas the South China cascade frog’s fourth digit on the feet extends beyond the webbing. The toe pads on the hands of the Hong Kong cascade are approximately twice the diameter of the toe pads on the hands of the South China Cascade frog. Finally, the Hong Kong cascade frog’s nose is nearly flat and the South China cascade frogs nose is pointed.

Hong Kong (left) vs South China cascade frog (right):