Flying frog

A flying frog (also called a gliding frog) is a frog that has the ability to achieve gliding flight. This means it can descend at an angle less than 45° relative to the horizontal. Other nonflying arboreal frogs can also descend, but only at angles greater than 45°, which is referred to as parachuting.^[1]

Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)

Evolution

Gliding flight has evolved independently several times among frogs from both New World (Hylidae) and Old World (Rhacophoridae) families.^[2][1] This parallel evolution is seen as an adaptation to their life in trees, high above the ground. Characteristics of the Old-World species include "enlarged hands and feet, full webbing between all fingers and toes, lateral skin flaps on the arms and legs, and reduced weight per snout-vent length".^[2] These morphological changes contribute to the flying frogs' aerodynamic abilities.

Taxonomy

Alfred Russel Wallace made one of the earliest reports of a flying frog.^[3] The species he observed was later described by George Albert Boulenger as Rhacophorus nigropalmatus.

Flying or gliding frogs includes members of these genera:

• Agalychnis (Hylidae)
• Ecnomiohyla (Hylidae)
• Polypedates (Rhacophoridae)
• Zhangixalus (Rhacophoridae)

There are 380 species of flying frogs.