Malabar Gliding Frog

Malabar Gliding Frog

Rhacophorus malabaricus

Silhouette: PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Kozhikode

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

7 Verified sightings at Kozhikode
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Malabar Gliding Frog

The Malabar gliding frog or Malabar flying frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) is a rhacophorid tree frog species found in the Western Ghats of India. It is the State amphibian of Kerala. The term "gliding" frog refers to its ability to break its fall by stretching the webbing between its toes when making leaps down from the treetops. It can make gliding jumps of 9–12 m, a maximum of about 115 times its length.

This frog has a body length of about 10 cm (4 in), making it one of the largest moss frogs. Males are smaller than females. Its back skin is finely granulated and the color is vivid green without markings, distinguishing it from the otherwise quite similar R. pseudomalabaricus, which has a black-marbled back and was long included in the present species. In preserved specimens, the back turns purplish blue. The belly is more coarsely granulated – particularly under the thighs – and pale yellow. There are skin fringes between and along the long limbs, and a triangular skin extension at the heel. The webbing between fingers and toes is large and orange-red.

The vomerine teeth are arranged in two straight or slightly oblique series touching the inner... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kozhikode 🇮🇳 India
~20%
2 Kochi 🇮🇳 India
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Malabar Gliding Frog in Kozhikode?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Malabar Gliding Frog sighting in Kozhikode on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 7 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Malabar Gliding Frog in Kozhikode?

January and October

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Malabar Gliding Frog in Kozhikode on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, June–July, September and November–December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Malabar Gliding Frog?

Between 4 and 7 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Malabar Gliding Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kozhikode the best place to see a Malabar Gliding Frog?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Malabar Gliding Frog sightings, Kozhikode has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kochi (India, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Malabar Gliding Frog live in Kozhikode?

Same family: Rhacophoridae

The closest relatives of the Malabar Gliding Frog that you can see in Kozhikode (family Rhacophoridae, Old World Tree Frogs) are Waynad bush frog (about 40%), Chunam Tree Frog (about 20%) and Western Tree Frog (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Malabar Gliding Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Malabar Gliding Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Kozhikode (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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