(Pedostibes hosii)
Familie: Toads (Bufonidae)
Orden: Frogs and Toads (Anura)
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Common Tree Toad
(Pedostibes hosii) Familie: Toads (Bufonidae) Orden: Frogs and Toads (Anura) |
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Other names: Hose's Tree Toad, Brown Tree Toad, Boulenger's Asian Tree Toad. Size: Males 5,3-7,8 cm, females 8,9-10,5 cm. Tadpoles up to 1,9-2,0 cm. Distribution: S. Thailand, West Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra. Habitat: An arboreal species found in forest and other dense vegetation along large lowland rivers up to 700 m asl. Found as high as 6 m up in trees. Occurs mostly in undisturbed forests, but may be found in old secondary habitats. The feet are relatively large, adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. Food: Adult tree toads have a diet that consists of insects, mostly ants. Reproduction: Breeding takes place in clear forest streams and is not seasonal, but occurs in spurts or pulses with many individuals coming to breed for one or two nights, after which they retire to the forest for several weeks. Males do not form calling aggregations, but some nights there is crowded around the breeding places. The tadpoles are found in accumulations of dead leaves in quiet side pools of forest streams. Newly metamorphosed juveniles measure 8-11 mm and disperse through the surrounding forest and gradually become arboreal, moving up into the forest strata. The species has been bred in captivity. Sexual dimorphism: Females are larger than males, and only about half of the females (and none of the males) possess the characteristic, yellow spots. Variation: Ground colour quite variable, ranging from light to chocolate brown or dark purple or black in some females. Only some females are spotted. Status: The species is declining, but placed in IUCN redlist category "Least Concern" in view of its wide distribution and its presumed large population. In parts of its range it is uncommon, e.g. in Thailand, where it is listed as "Vulnerable" in the Thai Red List (OEPP 1997) and protected by wildlife legislation. The major threats to this species are riverine development, lowland forest clearance and the resulting sedimentation of streambeds. It is unable to adapt to modified habitats, but probably occurs more widely than current records suggest, especially in areas between known sites. It is present in a number of protected areas. It is common in Borneo and Sumatra, locally abundant in Peninsular Malaysia, but uncommon in Thailand. Notes: The Asian Tree Toads (Pedostibes) are the only truly arboreal toads in the world. References: Berry, P.Y. 1975. The Amphibian Fauna of Peninsular Malaysia. Tropical Press. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 130 pp. Dring, J.C.M. 1979. Amphibians and reptiles from northern Trengganu, Malaysia, with descriptions of two new geckos: Cnemaspis and Cyrtodactylus. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology) 34(5): 181-241. Inger, R.F. & Stuebing, R.B. 2005. A field guide to the frogs of Borneo. 2. ed. Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. 204 pp. IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2004. Global Amphibian Assessment. (set 11 April 2006). www.globalamphibians.org Manthey, U. & Grossmann, W. 1997. Amphibien und Reptilien Südostasiens. NTV, Münster. 512 pp. Nutphand, W. 2001. Amphibians of Thailand. Amarin Printing and Publishing Public Co., Bangkok. 192 pp. OEPP - Office of Environmental Planning and Policy [of Thailand]. 1997. Proceedings Conference Status Biological Resources in Thailand 1996. Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. Bangkok. Schmidt, A.A. 1994. Erst-Nachzucht der Asiatischen Baumkröte Pedostibes hosii. Salamandra 30(4): 225-233. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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