Sylvirana guentheri
Günther's frog (Sylvirana guentheri) is a medium to large frog in the true frog family Ranidae. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Where it lives
- Found in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Vietnam, with possible records in Cambodia and Laos.
- An introduced population exists on Guam.
- It can live from lowland areas up to about 1,100 meters above sea level.
Habitat
- In forests, shrublands, and open grasslands, as well as rivers, swamps, and marshes.
- It breeds in still water such as rice fields and streams.
- It also tolerates farmland, plantations, rural gardens, water storage areas, ponds, and canals.
What it looks like
- Back is brown or yellow-brown; belly is white.
- It has a skin fold running from the eye to the hip and relatively long hind legs.
- It can grow up to about 10 cm long (snout to vent).
How it lives
- Vomerine teeth and a large tongue are part of its mouth structure.
- It lays eggs in rice fields and calm streams. Tadpoles are silver-white with stripes from nose to eye and a dark spot behind each eye.
Defense and predators
- Its skin can produce substances that deter predators and fight infections, including several antimicrobial peptides.
Parasites
- It can host parasites such as Protoopalina pingi in the rectum.
- It may be parasitized by Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm), which can cause disease in humans.
Taxonomy notes
- It has been placed in several different scientific names in the past, and was formerly classified in the genus Rana.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:53 (CET).