The Purple Frog has entered the Vietnamese consciousness through the idiom “courageous as a Purple Frog.” However, nowadays, hardly anyone has the opportunity to encounter them in reality.
Scientifically, the Bombinatoridae family includes species of frogs characterized by their flattened bodies and brightly colored red or yellow bellies, ranging from Europe to Asia. (Photo: Getty Images).
Vietnam is home to only one species of Purple Frog, the Small-webbed Purple Frog, scientifically named Bombina microdeladigitora. In many documents in Vietnam, they are simply referred to as the Purple Frog. (Photo: Luan Thanh Nguyen/ Berkeley.edu).
At first glance, this frog resembles a common house frog, but upon closer examination, there are many anatomical differences, such as triangular eye sockets, absence of eardrums, and a rounded tongue attached to the floor of the mouth. Their body length is around 70 – 80 mm. (Photo: Genus Bombina.)
The back of the Vietnamese Purple Frog is bronze or green, covered with large warts that have tiny pores to secrete toxins—a form of venom. The belly, hands, and feet of the Purple Frog have large, vibrant red and yellow spots against a black background. Males have rougher skin than females. (Photo: Phùng Mỹ Trung/ Vncreatures.net).
The habitat of the Purple Frog is high mountainous regions above 1,200 meters. They live in rock crevices and tree hollows with water, foraging primarily at night for insects. Females are rarely seen, with males being the more commonly encountered. (Photo: Luan Thanh Nguyen/Berkeley.edu).
Purple Frogs have a unique defense mechanism. When threatened, they do not flee but instead flip onto their backs to display their warning colors, indicating their toxicity. Any predator that foolishly attempts to swallow them will regret it. (Photo: Wikipedia).
Perhaps their stubborn and defiant attitude in the face of stronger opponents has led the Vietnamese people to respect them, giving rise to the phrase “courageous as a Purple Frog.” This was also a time when Purple Frogs were still present in many areas and easily spotted. (Photo: Jodi Rowley).
Today, the Small-webbed Purple Frog has become a very rare amphibian, only found sporadically in a narrow range in southern China and northern Vietnam. (Photo: Vnherps).
In the 20th century, this species was recorded in Ha Giang (Tây Côn Lĩnh), Lao Cai (Sapa), and Lai Chau, but now only a population remains in the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range. According to the Vietnam Red Book, they are classified as Critically Endangered. (Photo: Bombina Facebook).
If appropriate conservation measures are not implemented, the Purple Frog of Vietnam will face the risk of extinction in the future, leaving behind only a legacy encapsulated in the phrase “courageous as a Purple Frog.” (Photo: Bombina Facebook).
