Among the lush vegetation and clear waters of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park — a treasure trove of biodiversity — can be found frogs and toads of various colors, sizes, and marvelous adaptations.

Their mating calls, of different pitches, volumes, timbres and rhythms, contribute to the vast symphony of the rainforest, yet are distinctive and easily identified.

The calls, made exclusively by males usually during spring and summer, are the main way males attract a mate, demonstrating their physical prowess and thus suitability as a candidate.

The volume, frequency and length of a male’s call offers females a clue to his size and health, allowing the female to select the best genes with which to propagate the species. Males also use these calls to judge each other’s strength and steer clear of superior ‘love’ rivals.

The torrent sucker frog (Amolops torrentis) can only be found in Hainan. Its fingers and toes all terminate in sucker pads that allow it attach itself to rocks and stand firm against river currents.

 

The perhaps unfairly named Hainan odorous frog (Odorrana hainanensis), like other frogs of the genus Odorrana, do not stink as a matter of course. Instead, when caught, they secrete a pungent, sticky irritant as a defense mechanism.

The Hainan pseudomoustache toad (Leptobrachium hainanense) is a shy species that hides itself away among the shrubs and fallen leaves. Their skin acts as camouflage, rendering it virtually undetectable to the eye.

The large odorous frog (Odorrana graminea). The males of this species are significantly smaller than the females.

A large tree frog (Zhangixalus dennysi) clings to a bamboo stalk.

The serrate-legged small tree frog (Kurixalus odontotarsus) has well-developed, wing-like membranes between its fingers and toes allowing it to glide short distances.

The black-spectacled toad (Bufo Melanostictus Schneider) is a species of poisonous toad that secretes toxins from glands behind its ears and the warts covering its body when threatened.

All photos courtesy of Li Tianping from Hainan Daily