About Polypedates megacephalus Hallowell, 1861
Polypedates megacephalus, commonly known as the Hong Kong whipping frog or spot-legged tree frog, is a species of shrub frog in the family Rhacophoridae. Within its native range, it is also referred to as "brown tree frog", though this name is more commonly used for a different species that belongs to the true tree frog family Hylidae. This species is native to central, southern, and southwestern China, including Hong Kong and Hainan, as well as the Indo-China peninsula. It is closely related to Polypedates leucomystax, and was formerly grouped into the P. leucomystax species complex alongside P. mutus and P. braueri. Early studies thought P. megacephalus was found north of Vietnam's Red River and in Northeast India, while P. leucomystax generally occurred south of the Red River and in western Yunnan. However, recent genetic research has found that the natural geographic barriers separating these species are the Isthmus of Kra and the Tenasserim Range; P. megacephalus occurs north of the Isthmus of Kra and east of the Tenasserim Range. This species is listed as Least Concern, due to its wide distribution across Asia, its ability to tolerate a broad variety of habitats, and its presumed large population.
