Common Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax)

Sometimes, you may hear a loud thud on your door. Sometimes, it's your window. If you look carefully, you may find that it is, in fact, a beautiful Common Tree Frog. They seem to be able to defy gravity and leap ridiculous distances and can stick to anything. I once even had one land on my chest. I must admit, that made me jump, too! They are a good size and vary slightly in colour, possibly to do with age and habitat. If you quiet, you can get quite close to them. These shots are uncropped, using a 100mm macro lens. I think this one is a female and was attached to my gate.

 

Common Indian Toad (again)

Hmmm ... It looks like the Common Indian Toad in every way. However, the colours are completely different. It was a coppery brownze colour and had a mottled chest. Also, I watched it crawl out of a stream at Nam Nao HQ (you can just see the water in the background) .. not sure if they like streams. Any ideas? Unfortuately, they are not the best pictures in the world. It has been confirmed as correct, by Panawun Palittapongarnpim and Joe Hartman, with thanks.

Common Indian Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

During the rainy season Khon Kaen and probably most of Thailand and beyond becomes inundated with big bulky toads, known as the Common Indian Toad or the scientific name, Duttaphrynus melanostictus. They are great for keeping down the number of bugs and cockroaches (this one used to sit and stare at the drains waiting for baby cockroaches to appear). They won't do you any harm unless you eat them. However, check your boots from time to time. They love to make home in them. I have a photo of one appearing from my boot that it lived in for the whole rainy season. Will post when I find it again.

Green Paddy Frog (Hylarana erythraea)

A fairly common sighting I see on my dragonfly hunting travels, is the Green Paddy Frog or Hylarana erythraea, kindly IDd by Joe Hartman. They are difficult to approach and photograph. However, I was wading chest-deep in a pond in Udon Thani province with my friend, Joe Hartman, and this guy floated by on a makeshift island ... at the perfect angle.