Frogs of Malaysia
(3 May 2007)

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Frogs of Malaysia
Frogs or Toads, are collectively known as the
Amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their lives in
water and part of their lives on land. What makes an amphibian unusual
among the other vertebrates is its skin, which acts not only as a
protective layer but also as a respiratory organ. The frogs' or toads'
distinctive features include a short, often stocky body, no tail, long
hind legs and short front ones, large bulging eyes and a very wide
mouth.
Another distinctive characteristic of frogs or toads
is their complex life cycle. With a few exceptions, frogs or toads
begin life as aquatic larvae, or tadpoles, and undergo a complicated
series of changes called metamorphosis, as they assume the form of a
frog or toad. Frogs or toads depend on water, not just for breeding,
but also for basic survival. Malaysia is among the top 20 countries
with the most amphibian species including frogs and toads. The
existence of frogs and toads are beneficial to mankind as they consume
insects and thus provide assistance in controlling the population of
pests.
Horned Toad (Megophrys nasuta)
Megophrys nasuta have specific features that are
different from other types of frogs. The "horn" is a very wide,
pointed, with triangular projection from the edge of the eyelid. The
hind legs are shorter than the front legs and normally males are often
substantially smaller than females. The color is light clay to reddish
brown, with one or two dark spots on the back. Using its leaf-like
appearance for camouflage, Megophrys nasuta is virtually undetectable
in the leaf litter of the forest unless it moves. This animal is
perfectly designed to fit with its surroundings.
This species live in flat to steep rain forest with
thick bamboos, where the area is damp and cool and is commonly found
throughout Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia.
Spotted Tree Frog (Nyctixalus pictus)
This type of frog is small with relatively long snout
and long hind limbs. The skin on the back, head and the upper surface
of the limbs is rough, with many small spiny bumps. The body is
reddish cinnamon brown or pale red, with white spots scattered on its
back, along the edge of the snout and even on the upper eyelid. The
upper half of the iris of the eye is white while the lower half is
brown. This is one of the most distinctly colored and cannot be
mistaken for any other species. The size of this species are almost
the same except for the females which are slightly larger than the
males.
Nyctixalus pictus lives in primary and old secondary
forest and can be found most often in hilly terrain near water at all
parts of Borneo except Brunei, southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia,
Singapore, Sumatra and Philippines.
Brown Tree Toad (Pedostibes hosii)
Brown Tree Toad or its scientific name, Pedostibes
hosii has a large, stout body with a thick bony ridge behind the eye
and connected to a small paratoid gland. The fingers are long and
distinctly shaped, probably an adaptation to climbing. The top of the
head is smooth and the back has a few scattered warts. The females'
size is bigger than males. The color for the male are light brown
while the females are black or dark purple with a pattern of yellow
spots. It can be found mostly in undisturbed forests, but may be found
on old secondary habitants. The species can be found in all parts of
Borneo and also in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand.
Lesser Swamp Frog (Rana laterimaculata)
The size of frog from ranidae family is small and
medium. It has a pointed head and snout projecting slightly in
profile. The fingers are long and the tips are slightly dilated. It
also has small, low and rounded glandular warts on the surface of the
skin and scattered oval glands at the sides. Rana laterimaculata has a
light line on the upper lip that continues from below the eye to below
the eardrum. Its dorsal color can vary from medium reddish-brown to
very dark brown and the underside is creamy colored. Swampy areas,
primary and secondary forests are the natural habitats of this species
and are easily found in West Malaysia, Singapore and the Borneo
Islands.
Wallace's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)
Wallace's flying frog is a very large tree frog with
an almost rounded snout and very large hands and feet. The fingers and
toes are fully webbed. The color of the body is shiny green with
lighter yellow on the lateral sides as well as on the toe pads and
snout. The hind limbs are relatively larger than the front limbs and
provided added trust upon jumping.
The males are slightly smaller than the females. This
species is a resident of primary or logged forests at low elevation.
It descends down from the forest canopy to breed at turbid pools of
water. It is also found on low tree branches near rain puddles by the
logging area after heavy rain. Wallace's flying frog can be found in
Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak. The species can also be found in
southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
Technical Details
Date of Issue |
3 May 2007 |
Denomination |
30 sen, 50 sen x 2 |
Stamp Size |
40mm x 30mm |
Miniature Sheet
Denomination |
RM1.00 |
Miniature Sheet
Size |
100mm x 70mm |
Stamp Size in
Miniature Sheet |
35mm x 35mm |
Perforation |
14 |
Sheet Content |
20 stamps |
Paper |
SPM Watermarked,
Phosphor Coated |
Printing Process |
Lithography |
Source :
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