Description
Hyla hallowellii has a small and slender body. The snout is truncate and the canthus is blunt. Nostrils are nearly on the tip of the snout. The typmanum is circular, about 2/5 of the eye diameter. Fingers and toes end in round adhesive discs. Forelimb webbing is well developed while hindlimb webbing is only moderately so. The skin on the back is almost smooth. There is a large median subgular vocal sac and a pair of slit-like openings. Nuptial pads are present in the male and are a grayish yellow.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Japan

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (2 records).

H. hallowellii is known to inhabit the following Japanese islands: Kikaigashima Is., Amamioshima Is., Tokunoshima Is., Okinawajima Is., and Iriomotejima Is.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
This species lives in lowland forests and grasslands near human habitations. Breeding occurs from mid-March to mid-May in the still waters of rice fields and small pools. Mating calls have a dominant frequency of 4.6 kHz and are made before rain in non-breeding seasons. Eggs are pale brown, 1.2 mm in diameter, and are laid scattered. The mature larva reach a length of 40mm, with a short snout, widely separated eyes, and a deep tail fin. Adults of the species feed on the leaves and twigs of small shrubs and grasses. They change body color, but never have dark markings.

Relation to Humans
Often found near human habitations.

Comments
Karyotype - 2n=24, with 6 large pairs and 6 small pairs

Taxonomy - A population from Amamioshima Is. was once declared a subspecies H.h. schmidti but this is now thought to be invalid. One specimen from Iriomotejima Is. displays some unique morphology but no similar specimens have been collected.

References

Maeda, N. and Matsui, M. (1990). Frogs and Toads of Japan, 2nd edition. Bun-Ichi Sogo Shuppan Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2001 Hyla hallowellii: Hallowell's Tree Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/813> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jan 10, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 10 Jan 2025.

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