The Annam flying frog, Rhacophorus annamensis, is a tree frog from the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and eastern Cambodia. It lives in humid tropical forests, especially near clean streams and other forest water where frogs can breed and tadpoles can develop.
Like other flying frogs, it has wide webbing between its toes and fingers. That webbing helps it spread its feet like little parachutes, allowing it to make controlled glides and long leaps between branches. Sticky toe pads also help it cling to leaves, bark, and wet vegetation above the forest floor.
This frog can vary quite a bit in color. Individuals may appear gray, brown, reddish, or even yellowish, which helps them blend into bark, leaves, and shadowy forest plants. Females are larger than males and may reach about four inches long.
Annam flying frogs are nocturnal hunters. At night they search the vegetation for insects and other small invertebrates, using quick lunges and a sticky tongue to catch prey. During the day, they stay hidden where their colors and stillness help keep them safe from predators.
Because this frog depends on moist forest and healthy waterways, habitat loss is an important concern even though the species has been assessed as a lower-risk species overall. Protecting forest streams in the Annamites helps protect the many specialized amphibians that live there.