Occidozya baluensis

Seep Frog

                                                                 

Occidozyga baluensis lives in shallow ponds or water-filled depressions in which clear water seeps in at the base of a slope.

It is a medium to small sized frog. Maximum size is approximately 25 mm in males and 35 mm in females.

Dorsal coloration is varialble, brown, grey, or olive sometimes with dark markings. Some individuals have a vertebral stripe. The belly is cream with an abundance of brown spots. Although smaller it looks a bit more stocky in proportions than the somewhat flatter laevis.

The tadpoles are predatory and ingest small invertebrates. The tail is long and the tail fin is low. The tail tip is pointed. The mouth is terminal in position and the orifice appears quite small.

Tadpoles live in the shallow water film that covers the leaf litter in seepage areas. We found it easier to find them during the night, than during the day. At daytime they hide under the leaf litter.