One local animal that might be great at snatching up those Longhorn Beetles is the Four-lined Treefrog. Also known as the Common Treefrog, this acrobatic resident spends nearly all of its time above the ground. Take a walk close enough to the water bodies that it likes to call home (I often find them near streams) and you’ll see them dotted among the trees.

A few of the Four-lined Treefrogs I’ve seen at Lilok and Laguna

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With their big heads, awkward long legs, and bulbous toepads on the end of long toes, Four-lined Treefrogs look a bit clownish. And they have a call to match! Depending on the mood, they will sound like a “quack!” from a duck or some mechanic chuckling. So if you are walking through the forest at night, and you hear a frog laughing at you, you’ll know who it is.

Four-lined Treefrogs are found all over the Philippines, but they may not be native to the islands. Genetic studies suggest that they come from the mainland and only recently spread to the Philippines and other islands, arriving as stowaways on boats or floating logs. They are incredible survivors – I have found them in polluted urban waterways in the middle of Manila.

Some Four-lined Treefrogs found in a Manila drainage

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Where do they live?

The Four-lined Treefrog can be found in forests, wetlands, and city parks. It is usually seen off the ground on bushes, trees, or the walls of buildings. In the day the frogs hide inside of hollow trees or within thick vegetation. They breed in ponds and ditches.

What do they eat?

They eat insects.

Are they dangerous?

These treefrogs are not dangerous at all.

Are they in danger?

The Four-lined Treefrog appears to be spreading out all across Asia and is able to survive in many habitats, even very polluted urban environments.

What is their scientific name and classification?

The Four-lined Treefrog is scientifically known as Polypedates leucomystax. It is a member of the Rhacophoridae or “Shrub Frog” family, one of several groups commonly known as “treefrogs” because they spend almost all their time in trees or bushes. Members of this family have long legs and toe disks, and lay their eggs by creating foam nests above the water.

Listen in the woods at night after the rainy season starts – do you ever hear a treefrog call? Did it sound like a chuckle or like a duck? Let me know if you hear it!