World_of_Animals_Issue_46_2017

Bizarre!
The cleverly disguised frog
with a cannibalistic streak
Despite being masters of disguise and ferocious predators, Bornean horned
frogs have a somewhat surprising enemy – others of the same species
They will even eat
their relatives
Horned frogs are ambush predators;
lying in wait for prey to come past before
lunging out to catch it. They will eat
almost anything they can catch, including
spiders, scorpions, rodents, lizards and
other frogs. They have even been known
to eat their own young, and females
sometimes eat their mates once they
have served their purpose.
Tadpoles have
funnel-shaped
mouths
Female horned frogs lay their eggs either
partially or totally submerged in water.
These capsules are quite large and few in
number. They hatch within ten to 12 days,
and the emerging tadpoles have huge
funnel-shaped mouths, which they hold
at the surface of the water. They suck
tiny microorganisms into their mouths,
which are then filtered out through the
gills before being swallowed.
Often mistakenly
called a toad
The Bornean horned frog has several
other common names, such as the large
horned frog, the long-nosed horned frog
and the Malayan leaf frog. It is also often
called the horned toad, even though it
doesn’t have either of the two features
that usually define toads – warty skin and
parotoid glands (external skin glands that
secrete toxins).
Leaf-shaped
horns help
them hide
True to their name, Bornean horned frogs
have pointy, horn-like structures above
their eyes. As these frogs are a mottled
brown and grey colour, these structures
look a little like leaves and help them to
blend in perfectly with the forest floor.
This disguise is useful for evading
their predators and also allows
them to be very effective
ambush hunters.
Males are
small but noisy
Adult male Bornean horned frogs are
much smaller than the females; generally
less than half the size. What they lack in
size they make up for in noise, though,
emitting a loud croak at night. Females
are not known to make any vocalisations
at all, and spend most of their time hiding
in the leaf litter waiting for unsuspecting
prey to come past.
Bornean
horned frog
Megophrys nasuta
Class Amphibia
Territory Widespread across
Southeast Asia, including
Borneo, Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore and Indonesia
Diet Spiders, crabs, scorpions,
nestling birds, lizards and
other frogs
Lifespan Over 5 years
Adult weight Unknown
Conservation Status
LEAST CONCERN
© FLPA
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