Wallace’s Flying Frog Rhacophorus nigropalmatus

Wallace’s Flying Frog Rhacophorus nigropalmatus

Extant (resident): Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia (Sumatera, Kalimantan); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak); Myanmar; Thailand

The elusive and visually stunning Wallace’s Flying #Frog are known for their mysterious nature and their ability to take flight and glide through the air like dancers. They reveal themselves only during breeding aggregations when they descend from the trees.

Recent surveys in various regions, including the Matang Range in #Sarawak, #Malaysia, and the Endau-Rompin in West Malaysia, have documented the presence of this species. However, their overall population faces a concerning decline due to the ongoing loss of habitat for #palmoil #deforestation. Urgent conservation efforts are critical to reverse this trend and to ensure the survival of this intriguing species in their natural environment. Help this frog to survive every time you shop, make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Appearance & Behaviour

This photogenic frog captivates with vibrant colours, large size, and fascinating behaviour. They measure around 80–100 mm in body length and are one of the largest Rhacophorus species, with males being smaller than females.

They possess large eardrums and captivating horizontal-pupiled eyes. Their remarkable long limbs, webbed fingers and toes extending to the tips are fringed with skin. This forms a natural parachute allowing them to move quickly between trees and to the forest floor. With a bright shiny green back, white to pale yellow underside, and brilliant yellow accents on their toes, this species of frog is a visual delight to behold.

Threats

This species of frog is classified as Least Concern and yet their number has been decreasing at a worrying rate over decades as a direct result of palm oil deforestation. They are completely reliant on a healthy rainforest habitat for survival. It is for this reason that they are included on this website.

• Widespread and rapid clear-cutting of lowland tropical rainforest for palm oil plantations.
• Forest loss and degradation, particularly from the conversion of forests into agricultural land, posing a significant threat to all biodiversity in Southeast Asia
• A secondary threat is small-scale pet trade, both nationally and internationally although this is deemed to be not as serious as habitat loss.

Habitat

They live mainly in tree canopies deep in dense rainforests. They make ballerina-like leaps and “flights” from tree to tree, showcasing their impressive and precise gliding agility. When threatened, Wallace Flying Frogs gracefully glide using its webbed feet and loose skin flaps. This frog’s oversized toe pads help with soft landings and tree trunk adhesion.

Diet

Known for their insectivorous diet, the Wallace’s Flying Frog have on occasion been known to eat toads and small birds. However, they face threats from tree-climbing snakes in their arboreal habitat.

Support Wallace’s Flying Frogs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2022. Rhacophorus nigropalmatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T59008A64129329. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T59008A64129329.en. Accessed on 27 December 2023.

Wallace’s Flying Frog Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace%27s_flying_frog

Wallace’s Flying Frog Animalia.bio https://animalia.bio/wallaces-flying-frog

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