Scientific Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Amphibia
ORDER: Anura
FAMILY: Rhacophoridae
GENUS: Theloderma
SPECIES: T. corticale
Conservation Status
The mossy frog can grow to lengths of 3.1-3.5 inches with females being slightly larger than the males.
Their name comes from the moss-like appearance of its bumpy green and brown skin and black spots. They hide on mossy rocks for camouflage or in flooded areas.
Mossy frogs have sticky pads on their toes that allow them to adhere to anything from wood to slick cavern walls. The males have a pronounced callus on the base of their inside finger.
The mossy frog is an amphibian found in China and Northern Vietnam. They seek out mountainous, evergreen rainforests that have flooded caves or rock crevices at elevations of 2,300-3,300 feet. In more developed areas, mossy frogs can be found in the tree trunks or rock cavities of man-made reservoirs.
In the wild, mossy frogs hide in basins of water with only their eyes sticking out to survey for prey. They are active at night so they are extremely stealthy. Mossy frogs hunt insects such as crickets, flies, and cockroaches. They tend to eat less than other adult frog species, hunting only two to three times a week.
Breeding season for mossy frogs is between April and June. Males will call to females until a willing female lays 8-10 eggs above the waterline of a rock crevice or on floating plants for the male to fertilize. After 2-3 weeks, tadpoles will hatch from these eggs and fall into the water to begin metamorphosis. The time it takes for the tadpole to become a mossy froglet is 4-6 months, but can be sped up with warmer waters.
Mossy frogs are challenging to spot in the wild for various reasons. For one, they have sticky pads on their toes that allow them to cling to any surface including slick cavern walls. Also, these frogs have a loud croak that has been known to span up to 13 feet making them difficult to pinpoint.
When frightened, the mossy frog will curl into a ball and play dead.