Family: Microhylidae - Narrow-mouthed Frogs
Order: Anura - Frogs
Class: Amphibia
Phylum: Chordata - Vertebrates
Kingdom: Animalia
Red List status: Least Concern
Male Female
Adult length: 23 mm 26 mm
Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore east to central and southern China.
Other common names: Painted chorus frog, painted narrow-mouthed frog, tubercled pygmy frog
A triangular-bodied small
frog
with a pointed snout, characterised by enlarged, often enlarged, reddish
tubercles scattered around the flanks and upper body; these may be
concentrated at the front of the
dorsum. There is a large,
symmetrical wavy-edged pattern across the back, darker than the brown or
gray ground colour, and rimmed with a thin, pale or gold band. The
tympanum is not visible.
The upper arm may be flushed orange.
Call: Described as "a rapidly repeated 'aik'" (Thy & Holden, 2008).
Similar species: The noisy froglet is most similar to the ornate chorus frog (Microhyla fissipes). This species can be distinguished by its generally smaller tubercles, the absence of a thin pale band bordering the dorsal pattern and presence instead of a wide stripe running diagonally along the edge of the back. In addition, M. fissipes lacks longitudinal grooves along base of the toes (present in M. butleri). Patterning, particularly the presence of the pale band, distinguishes this species from other small microhylids.
A terrestrial inhabitant of low- and mid-altitude secondary forest, where it lives and calls among leaf litter and dense vegetation. It exhibits a preference for forest margins, and is occasionally encountered in both primary forest and cultivated land.
Reproductive habitat: The noisy froglet breeds in a range of standing waters, from paddy fields and marshes to temporary pools.
Elevation: 290-1,500 m
Thy, N. and Holden, J. (2008) A Field Guide to the Amphibians of Cambodia Fauna & Flora International, Phnom Penh: 127pp
Van Dijk, P.P., Ohler, A., Kuangyang, L., Wenhao, C., Baorong, G. and Chan, B. (2004). Microhyla butleri. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Microhyla butleri male calling. Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand.
