Amphibians of Cambodia

Frankfurt am Main April 2023, HC, 256 pages, approximately 300 colour photos, 3 maps, several line drawings. Since the first field guide 2008 almost a dozen species have joined the list of Cambodian amphibians, furthermore numerous name changes and genus reassignments occurred and this process is ongoing. However, by 2021, all the previously unnamed species discovered in Cambodia had been given names, and a number of anticipated species recorded. It seemed the right time to publish a new and more detailed field guide, and many of the frogs that feature in the following pages are appearing in book form for the first time. Encouragingly, no amphibian species have disappeared from Cambodia in the last decade. Instead, we have seen the total number of recorded species increase by approximately 17%. This figure includes both species new to science and new records for Cambodia. Throughout the field trips made while collecting material for this book, new discoveries were made. As a land of monsoons and seasonal flooding, the people of Cambodia have always shared their landscape with amphibians. Even today, a large part of Cambodia’s landmass is still relatively undeveloped, with a predominantly rural human population. As a consequence, most Khmers have more than a passing familiarity with amphibians. This might entail finding toads that have strayed into the house, treefrogs in the bathroom, or perhaps eating frogs as a welcome protein supplement. Frogs are also part of Khmer culture, featuring in stories and proverbs, and even represented at the Angkor complex by a giant stone frog at Kbal Spean.