Polypedates megacephalus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Polypedates megacephalus, the Hong Kong whipping frog or spot-legged tree frog, is a species in the shrub frog family (Rhacophoridae). In its native range, it is also called "brown tree frog", but this name is otherwise applied to a species of the true tree frog family (Hylidae).
This species is native in central, southern and southwestern China (including Hong Kong and Hainan) and Indo-China peninsula. It is closely related to Polypedates leucomystax and was formerly included in P. leucomystex species complex, along with P. mutus and P. braueri.
Previously, P. megacephalus was thought to distribute above the Red River of Vietnam and in Northeast India, while P. leucomystex was generally found south of the Red River and in western Yunnan. However, recent genetic studies revealed that the natural barriers between these species are the Isthmus of Kra and the Tenasserim Range, where P. megacephalus can be found above the isthmus and east of the range.
This frog is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution in Asia and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats. It also because of its presumed large population. This species is... Wikipedia →
Advertisement call0:38
China · 2022
© Dave GUO · XC971708 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:11
Taiwan · 2024
© tttoad · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:21
Taiwan · 2024
© Chen Jia Hong · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cần Thơ | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Yangon | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | |
| 4 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Hanoi | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Taipei | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 7 | Taichung | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 8 | Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Zhuhai [Macau] | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 10 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Opole | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Cologne Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Alligator Adventure | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Edward Youde Aviary | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 6 | Cologne Zoo Aquarium | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Ocean Park Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spot-legged Tree Frog sighting in Cuc Phuong National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 8 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, May–June and November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Spot-legged Tree Frog in Cuc Phuong National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and October, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spot-legged Tree Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Spot-legged Tree Frog sightings, Cuc Phuong National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Rhacophoridae
The closest relatives of the Spot-legged Tree Frog that you can see in Cuc Phuong National Park (family Rhacophoridae, Old World Tree Frogs) are Orlov's Treefrog (about 40%), Chinese Flying Frog (about 40%) and Dotted Bubble-nest Frog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spot-legged Tree Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Cuc Phuong National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
