''Theloderma corticale'' (common names: mossy frog, Vietnamese mossy frog, Tonkin bug-eyed frog, moss bug-eyed frog, and

or the formerly recognized ''Theloderma kwangsiense'' Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Mis ...

Kwangsi warty treefrog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is found in northern Vietnam, south–central Laos, and southern China ( Guangdong,

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...

, Hainan, Yunnan).

Description

The common name "mossy frog" arises from the fact that its skin is a mottled green and brown that resembles

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

growing on rock, and forms an effective form of camouflage. They have large sticky pads on their toes and a soft underbelly. They measure about in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The females will grow larger than the males and can reach sizes of . This species will curl into a ball when frightened, and play dead. File:ThelodermaCorticaleTrio.jpg, Three individuals camouflaged on a rock face File:Mossy frog.JPG, An individual camouflaged on a mossy surface

Habitat

Its natural habitats are primarily evergreen rainforests and subtropical forest where they have been found inside pools in hollowed logs, placed by the local villagers. It is a semi-aquatic that is found in caves and steep rocky cliffs. Breeding takes place in rock cavities or tree holes.

Diet

Its diet consists of crickets, cockroaches, and earthworms.

Conservation

Its habitat is threatened by forest loss. It is also collected for the international pet trade. Like many amphibians, the Vietnamese mossy frog is vulnerable to the chytrid fungus '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis''. Nonetheless, the conservation of this species is classified as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Theloderma Corticale Theloderma Frogs of China Amphibians of Laos Amphibians of Vietnam Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Amphibians described in 1903 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot