Lesser Swamp Frog

Fascinating facts about the Lesser Swamp Frog

• From the southern tip of Thailand down through Malaysia to Singapore, this true frog dots the Malay Peninsula, with outposts in Sarawak's Borneo and Indonesia's Natuna Besar island. Its range stitches together three countries and an island, showing how a single species can bridge diverse political borders.
• In the murky lowland freshwater and peat swamp forests, males set up their stages either hidden in leaf litter or perched on vegetation no higher than a coffee table, under one metre off the ground. That low perch lets their calls travel just above the damp floor, a clever acoustic shortcut in dense understory.
• The frog can occur in disturbed habitats adjacent to good stands of intact forest.
• The species can locally suffer from habitat loss, and it is believed to be present in several protected areas.

At a glance

About the Lesser Swamp Frog

Pulchrana laterimaculata, the side-spotted swamp frog, is a true frog in the Ranidae family. It occurs on the Malay Peninsula from southern Thailand through Malaysia to Singapore, in Sarawak (Borneo) and on Natuna Besar island. It inhabits lowland freshwater and peat swamp forests; males call from leaf litter on the forest floor or perch on low vegetation less than one metre above ground. The species can be locally abundant and may occur in disturbed habitats near intact forest, but can suffer from habitat loss and is thought to be present in several protected areas.

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