Rhacophoridae
374 species in 18 genera
Asian Tree Frogs
Asian tree frogs are most closely related to true frogs (Ranidae) but seem to be the ecological equivalents of New World Hylids by being arboreal and having enlarged toe discs at the ends of the fingers to aid in climbing. Most Asian tree frogs have large eyes with horizontal pupils and dorsal coloration that ranges from green to brown and gray to black and white. Rhacophoridae is composed of 2 subfamilies, Philautinae and Rhacophorinae. Many have flash coloration (bright, patterned colors) on the inner thighs, which confuse predators when the frog leaps away and exposes these areas, thus distorting the frogs overall body pattern to the predator. Some members of the genusRhacophorus, such as Rhacophoris pardalis, have extensive webbing and are able to glide by extending their limbs out as they jump, thus serving to increase their surface area (this gliding ability is also present in some species in the family Hylidae). (AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2014. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2014))