 |
| Philautus everetti |
Philautus everetti, commonly known as Everett’s Tree Frog and also referred to as Everett’s Flying Frog and Everett’s Shrub Frog, is an endangered species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae inhabiting the island of Palawan in the Philippines. This small tree frog has notably long, slender legs adapted for jumping. Its toes are partly webbed, and the fingers are only webbed at the base, which aids a lot in climbing vegetation. It has a short rounded snout, and both the forearm and lower leg bear a few small pointed projections along the edges. The dorsal coloration ranges from plain, patternless tan or yellowish brown to a pale green or yellow-green, with contrasting dark brown or reddish brown spots, patches, and bars. These markings provide effective camouflage against mossy tree surfaces.
 |
| Philautus everetti |
Philautus everetti appears to be more sensitive to the stability of humid microclimates within the forest canopy than most arboreal frogs in Palawan. Although old records confirmed its presence in lowland areas as low as 300 meters above sea level, finding this species at such elevations today is exceedingly rare. It used to be abundant on the eastern foothills of Mount Gantung, but widespread slash-and-burn farming and mining activity around the area have affected the species so severely that it seems to have disappeared from the lower part of the mountain. During our herping trip to Mount Gantung in May 2024, we searched for two nights around our old spot in the foothills and saw nothing. We decided to explore the higher elevations on the third day, and it was only at an altitude of approximately 830 meters above sea level that we began to encounter the species.
 |
| Philautus everetti |
This frog is now usually found in submontane and montane zones, typically at elevations around 700 meters above sea level up to the mossy forests near the peaks. It perches at night on wide leaves, mossy branches, and tree trunks, usually at heights ranging from a few feet to five meters above the ground. Populations inhabiting below the mossy forest line show a strong preference for dense areas near seasonal and permanent mountain streams and waterfalls.
 |
| Palawan mossy forest habitat |
In Palawan’s mossy forests, the breeding season brings Everett’s Tree Frog into acoustic prominence alongside the Palawan Toadlet and the more abundant Palawan Bubble Nest Frog. You'll hear its call as soon as the sun goes down, with activity peaking in the early evening hours. Males, perched in vegetation, produce a series of short, harsh notes to attract mates. The reproductive biology of this species remains uncertain. Because it thrives more in mossy forests, which are very far from open water, some say they probably exhibit direct development. A reproductive mode where eggs are laid on vegetation and hatch directly into miniature froglets, making reproduction less dependent on standing water. However, if this is not the case, then probably its tadpoles are in water trapped within tree hollows and pitcher plant traps. During our expedition in the Pulgar Range a few years back, we noticed that this species is more abundant in mossy forests where lots of Nepenthes deaniana grows. We checked several Nepenthes pitchers, but we did not find any tadpoles, though.
 |
| Destructive slash and burn farming in Palawan |
The lowland population of Everett’s Tree Frog in Palawan has declined significantly over the past two decades and continues to decrease due to ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation. Primary drivers of this decline include the expansion of large-scale oil palm plantations, shifting cultivation, mining operations, illegal logging, and wood collection for charcoal. Pollution from mine tailings and agricultural runoff degrades the types of forests the species depends on.
 |
| Philautus everetti |
While the populations appear stable in a few high-elevation undisturbed mossy forest habitats, they continue to decline elsewhere. The frog's need for suitable moist, humid habitats in its limited geographic range makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation and the long-term impacts of climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed this species in 2017 and published it in the Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered in 2018.
