Leyte Tree Frog

Philautus leitensis is a treefrog found exclusively in the Philippines. Philautus leitensis can be characterized through its pointed snout, nostrils that are closer to the tip of the snout instead of the eye. It has an indistinct tympanum, with a supratympanic fold, and a row of tubercles throughout the outer edge of its forearm. Its fingers are absent of webbing, while toes have webbing. Its gular region is smooth, but its abdomen is granular (Beukema 2011). Accounts also reveal that it is closely related to Philautus acutirostis found in Mindanao. Brown et al. (1963) state that samples collected from Bohol show that these two species exhibit only a few morphological differences like color pattern on the ventral side as well as the degree of toe webbing, but do not elaborate on what the specifics of those differences. There is an extensive brown area in the ventral surface of its lower leg (Beukema 2011).Boulenger was the first person to describe Philautus leitensis in 1897 (Arvin et al. 2004), originally naming it Ixalus leitensis(Brown 2006).

Philautus leitensis is found in Bohol, Leyte, and Mindanao in the eastern Philippines. It is found in lowlands of tropical forests and montane forests. It could also inhabit areas adjacent to the forests (Arvin et al. 2004).

Philautus leitensis is predominantly terrestrial and breeds through direct development. Other behaviors are still unknown (Arvin et al. 2004).

There is a continuous trend of declining population for this species due primarily to effects of agriculture including crops and livestock, as well as logging and settlement of humans in their habitats. Human imposed threats to its preferred forest habitat limit their population growth (Arvin et al. 2004).

The Leyte tree frog (Philautus leitensis) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Philippines.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.