Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1829)
Family: Rhacophoridae Four lined Tree Frog Status: Potential Colonizer Description: A small to medium sized tree frog most readily identified by the presence of four thin longitudinal strips on the dorsum. Females achieve a considerably larger size, up to 75 mm SVL, than males, up to 50 mm SVL. Some individuals lack the stripes on the back and are either plain brown or have irregular brown markings. The call is a short “quack” (Inger and Steubing 2005). This species can easily be confused with P. braueri which is already established in the Marianas. It is best distinguished by call. Biology: P. leucomystax is largely a denizen of disturbed and human modified habitats. It will breed in almost any body of water, around which males form calling groups. Like other anurans, it will feed on a wide variety of suitably sized invertebrates. Distribution: As currently recognized this species is most likely composed of a complex of several cryptic species that collectively range throughout southeast Asia including the Philippines and the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia. It has been introduced to Japan (Lever 2003). It is included in this book due to its prevalence in human modified habitats in areas with a lot of traffic to the Mariana Islands (i.e. the Philippines) and a similar climate. In the 1990’s an individual was captured at the Guam International Airport on an airplane arriving from Thailand (Wiles 2000). Wiles G. J. 2000. Recent Records of Reptiles and Amphibians Accidentally Transported to Guam, Mariana Islands. Micronesica. 32 (2) 285-287 |