Borneo Eared Frog

(Polypedates otilophus)

There are a few Borneo eared frogs at the Zoo that came to us in 2021 from Houston Zoo.

Animal Facts

Nocturnal or crepuscular, generally arboreal, found near water. Not poisonous.

Males call and females toe-tap in response when looking for mates.

Eggs are laid in a foam nest, above water in spring, tadpoles fall into the water, metamorphosis in 8-10 weeks.

Diet

The Borneo eared frog eats a diet of insects and other invertebrates, smaller frogs; as tadpoles they eat mainly algae

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These frogs are found in the forests and wetlands of Borneo, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These frogs are arboreal and commonly seen clinging to vegetation, a few yards from the ground.

The population is decreasing, but this species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and tolerance for some degree of habitat modification. Although the frogs are rarer within some areas of their range, the overall population is also presumed to be large. The principal threat to the species is rapid clear-cutting of lowland tropical rainforest in forest timber concession land and for large-scale oil palm plantations. The species is also collected for the pet trade.