About Occidozyga baluensis (Boulenger, 1896)
Occidozyga baluensis is a species of small to medium-sized frog. Males reach approximately 25 mm (0.98 in) in snout–vent length, while females grow to 35 mm (1.4 in). Their dorsal coloration is variable, ranging from brown, grey, to olive, and sometimes includes dark markings. Some individuals have a vertebral stripe, and their belly is cream-colored with numerous brown spots. The tadpoles of this species have a long tail with a low tail fin and a pointed tip. Their mouth is positioned terminally and has a quite small opening. This species is found in northwestern Borneo, covering Sarawak (Malaysia), Brunei, and Kalimantan (Indonesia); it has also been recorded once in Lampung, Sumatra, though this record is considered questionable. The species' scientific name references its type locality, "Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo". Occidozyga baluensis lives in shallow ponds or water-filled depressions where clear water seeps out at the base of a slope. Its tadpoles inhabit the shallow film of water covering leaf litter in seepage areas, are predatory, and eat small invertebrates. This species is threatened by habitat loss caused by clear-cutting.
