Malaysia Mossy Frogs

Mossy Frog
Theloderma sp

Smooth-Skinned Mossy Frog
Theloderma licin

Hill Bug-Eyed Frog
Theloderma asperum

Amphibians ~ Mossy Frogs

Mossy frogs are a relatively unexplored and researched genus of frogs in Southeast Asia. Tiny and secretive, their highly arboreal habitats make them a rare sight and hampers sampling for research. In Malaysia, four species have been recorded; Theloderma horridum, Theloderma leporosum, Theloderma asperum and recently described in 2007, Theloderma licin.

Theloderma leporosum is the largest mossy frog species in Malaysia, growing up to 5 cm in length. Theloderma horridum and Theloderma asperum grow to much smaller sizes while Theloderma licin is described as the only smooth-backed Theloderma species. Mossy frogs are found up to 20 or more meters-high among trees, where they spend almost their entire life cycles.

On rare occassions, they can be discovered in lower-level (watered) tree holes and among low-hanging branches as well as on stumps and rocks by streams. Their highly arboreal habitat is what makes collecting Theloderma species for research an arduous task, as almost all of them are out of the conventional reach of human hands. Their calls are also soft and short, which makes detecting them all the more harder.

They are believed to take winged insects such as crickets in the wild. An unidentified Theloderma specimen in captivity survived for 5 months on crickets but died due to bacterial infection. Other specimens fed on baby crickets and fruit flies. Otherwise, not much else is known about the ecology of this mysterious genus of frogs.