Polypedates maculatus (Gray 1830)

Snout-vent length of mature males 34-57 mm, females 44-89 mm. Dorsum smooth, chin and chest smoothly granular, venter and underside of thigh granular. Males with single internal vocal sac and nuptial pad at base of first finger. Dorsum olivaceous to chestnut, sometimes brownish-yellow or grey with scattered dark spots; loreal and temporal regions dark brown or black; limbs with dark cross-bars. Hinder side of thighs with round yellow spots which are usually separated by a dark brown network (Daniel 2002). However, I have never found a specimen with such spots!P. maculatus is capable of a rapid adaptation to substrate color. Also, this species is often confused with Polypedates leucomystax.

A typical frog of moist deciduous forest. This frog has become semi-urban, especially in cities with extensive gardens.

Sexual maturity is attained at a SVL of 35 mm in males and 41 mm in females. Breeding-time is the monsoon season. The call of the male frog is heard after sunset. Amplexus is axilliar, with males holding females at the level of the armpit. The foam-nest is semiglobular in shape with a flat bottom attached to the substrate. Fresh foam is white, becoming dirty white or brown. Trees overhanging water tanks and pools are used as spawning sites. Size of foam-nest: 65-92 mm in diameter, eggs are pure white and 1.2-1.5 mm in diameter; up to 850 eggs in a single foam-nest. Tadpoles take 55 days for complete metamorphosis, feeding on desmids, diatoms and algae.

During drier periods, P. maculatus can be found inside houses, especially bathrooms.