Black-spotted Frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus, 黑斑侧褶蛙)
A common true frog, I see them more often at night but sometimes by the edges of ponds and other still waters during the day. Some individuals are green, others grey or olive. Their bellies are always white. The name refers to their large noticeable dark spots, but they also have a distinct mid-dorsal line, and lines on each of their two dorso-lateral folds.
Paddy frog (Fejervarya multistriata, 泽陆蛙). Juvenile.
In past years, I have only seen a few of these juvenile frogs by the Xiang river in Changsha, but this summer, where the water has been much high than is usually, there have been dozens of these young frogs hopping about.
The few ponds around Yuelu Mountain often contain vociferous frogs and toads throughout the summer. This frog however was out on a quiet trekking across a dry hillside. It is some member of the Fejervarya genus, perhaps a Hong Kong rice-paddy frog (fejervarya multistriata, 泽陆蛙), though the taxonomic classification of this and related species has not been fully settled.
Asiatic Toad (Bufo gargarizans, 中华蟾蜍).
The first wild amphibian of the year has made his appearance. Yesterday in Wangling park, this medium-sized toad was out in the unseasonably warm sun and evidently too preoccupied with the new sights and commotion to be much bothered by me or others stopping to observe him.
Brown Tree Frog (Polypedates megacephalus, 斑腿泛树蛙).
This week we found two of these shrub frogs at the Hunan Botanical garden, where they were hopping around in the mulch in the bamboo gardens. A little over a centimetre in length and smaller in width they were nearly invisible among the light brown leaves and fallen bamboo husks, except as fleeting darts of movement when they were disturbed by my footsteps.
Paddy frog (Fejervarya multistriata, 泽陆蛙). Note the taxonomy of this and related species is not entirely settled.
Hot summer nights are bursting with nature. During the day, swarms of dragonflies are flying everywhere adjacent to water. At night it is moths and flying beetles. This paddy frog was wandering near the river in the city of Xiangtan (湘潭), blending into the concrete as well as he would into a natural setting.
Guenther's Frog (Sylvirana guentheri, 沼蛙).
It is always a delight to find amphibians in the wild. This frog was lurking midday around the waters of Wangling Park (王陵公园). There are many more in the murky pools around the bottom of Yuelu Mountain: they are not always to be seen but at night they can be heard. The Chinese name correctly suggests they reside in swamps and marshlands.
