MALABAR GLIDING FROG
Scientific Name: Rhacophorus malabaricus
The Malabar Gliding frog also called as Malabar Flying Frog is a tree frog species found in Western Ghats of India residing in the moist evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, coffee plantations etc.
Vivid green in color, the body length is about 10cm. The belly is more roughly granulated and is mainly pale yellow. There are skin fringes between and along the long limbs, and the webbing between fingers and toes is large and orange- reddish. The disks of fingers and toes are large. It has got a rounded snout. Males are smaller than females
The word gliding frog refers to the ability of this frog to break its fall by stretching the webbing between its toes while jumping down from the top of the tree. This helps the frog land softly on another branch or on the ground.
Like many moss frogs, they build foam nests above small pools of water, into which the tadpoles drop after hatching. The hibernation phase of the frogs end with the onset of heavy rains. In this starting phase males resort to calling and proclaim their territory by vocalising.
Listed as Least Concerned species by IUCN, still the population trend is decreasing. Conversion of forest habitat for use as intensively farmed agricultural land (coffee plantations) is a major threat.