Rhacophorus is a genus of frogs in the shrub frog family (Rhacophoridae) which together with the related Hylidae makes up the true tree frogs. They live in India, Japan, Madagascar, Africa, and Southeast Asia. "Amphibian Species of the World 5.6" lists 81 species.^[1]

These frogs have long toes with strong webbing between them, enabling the animals to slow their fall to a glide. They are therefore among the anurans commonly known as "flying frogs".

The present genus is closely related to Polypedates, which in former times was often included in Rhacophorus. Even today, it is not fully resolved in which of these genera "P." feae and the Chinese flying frog ("R." dennysi) properly belong , and the supposedly new species "P. pingbianensis" has turned out to be the same as R. duboisi.

Selected species

This list is not necessarily complete, as new species are still being discovered. Since the end of 1999, for example, more than a dozen new species have been described.

References