Sulawesi Fanged Frog

The Sulawesi fanged frog is a member of the dicroglossid genus Limnonectes. Its original description was based on frogs from Gorontalo and Manado, and the name has also been applied to populations on Ceram and elsewhere in the Moluccas. Taxonomic reviews caution that these populations may not all represent one species, while molecular work treats Limnonectes modestus as a species complex rather than a single uniform lineage (Amphibian Species of the World).

A field study in south-east Sulawesi recorded frogs identified as Limnonectes cf. modestus on the forest floor and beside streams, including disturbed forest. Sampled animals measured 1.8–5.8 cm and weighed 2–21 g. Researchers found eggs among leaf litter at pool edges, while tadpoles occupied still water in stream channels or connected side pools. The cautious cf. identification matters because Sulawesi contains several similar, incompletely resolved fanged frogs (Gillespie et al. 2004).