Glyphoglossus smithi

Smith’s Burrowing Frog

          

Glyphoglossus smithi is rarely seen by the occasional frog seeker; too secretive are its life habits. 

Inger (1966) reported females measuring up to 39 mm snout-vent length. 

This frog is dark brown above with dark markings. The body is stocky, the head relatively small. The tympanum is hidden under skin. The finger tips are not expanded indicating terrestrially. There is a conspicuous red or pink arc above the anus. In the depicted specimen fingers, toe tips, and iris were red, as well.

National University of Singapore (D. Bickford) and the Institut Teknologi Bandung (D. Iskandar, A. Irawan) caught this species in pitfall traps, indicating ground-dwelling habits of this species (photo below: © Andri Irawan).

Our group found Calluella tadpoles of uncertain species identity in a forest pond. The tadpoles are quite big. The tail is long and ends in a filament. Tadpoles hover head-up in the water column by constantly beating their tail filament.