The Malabar Gliding frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) is an endemic species found in the wet evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats, India.
The term "gliding" refers to it's ability to break its fall by stretching the webbing between its toes when making leaps down from the treetops.
They are vivid green with finely granulated back skin and are one of the largest moss frogs. They are only seen in the five states of India which are closely linked with the Western Ghats.
The eyes of this green guy are interesting. They looks as if popping out from the socket. The eyes are large and round with yellowish-brown ornamentation.
The fingers and toes are sticky. They can literally stick onto a leaf upside down without falling. The webs between the fingers are very large and are orange-red color. These webs helps them in gliding and the big, long fingers with a bulge on the tip helps them to hold on to any object at any elevation. This photograph shows the sticking property of the toes.
The aerodynamic property is related to shape, size and density. These slender, long amphibians have got the perfect dimension required for gliding. The large webbed toes and their sleek body shape helps them to glide to a distance of 9 -12 meters, a maximum of 115 times its length.
This photograph was clicked at night, the only time when they can be spotted, while the subject was sitting on a lotus leaf.
I used a soft light with a diffuser for even lighting of the subject.
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