The Green Puddle Frog (Occidozyga lima), also known as the Rice Field Frog or Floating Frog, is a small amphibian belonging to the family Dicroglossidae. It typically measures between 3–5 cm in length. The frog’s body is stout with a smooth to slightly warty skin, usually olive green or brownish with darker mottling that helps it blend into muddy or vegetated environments. Its head is broad with eyes positioned high, allowing it to remain mostly submerged while still observing its surroundings. Adapted to aquatic life, its limbs are short and muscular, with partially webbed toes that make it an efficient swimmer.
TADPOLE are small and aquatic, featuring a rounded body and a short, tapered tail. They are usually found in stagnant or slow-moving water such as puddles, rice fields, and ponds. Their coloration is typically grayish or brown, providing camouflage against muddy substrates. They feed mainly on detritus, algae, and microorganisms until metamorphosis.
Aggressive or Danger to Human? This species is not aggressive and poses no danger to humans. It is a harmless frog that often inhabits areas close to human settlements, such as agricultural fields.
Population Status: Least Concern (LC) – Globally according to the IUCN Red List.
The species has a wide distribution across Southeast Asia and shows stable population trends. It adapts well to disturbed habitats, including rice paddies and irrigation ditches.
Habitat and Habits: The Green Puddle Frog inhabits lowland freshwater environments, such as rice fields, ponds, marshes, ditches, and temporary pools. It is both aquatic and semi-terrestrial, often seen resting on the water surface or at the edges of shallow puddles. The species breeds in still or slow-moving water during the rainy season, laying eggs in small clumps attached to submerged vegetation. Its diet mainly consists of small invertebrates such as insects and larvae. Occidozyga lima is active mostly at night (nocturnal) and plays an important ecological role in controlling insect populations.