This July, the Tai­pei City Government designated six easily accessible mountain trails as frog watching trails. One of them, Elephant Mountain Trail, starts at Zhong­qiang Park, which is located outside Xiang­shan MRT Station at the end of the ­Xinyi Line. It’s adjacent to office buildings and multi-million-dollar luxury homes, placing it amid prime real estate.

The other designated trails are ­Tianmu Old Trail in the Shi­lin District, Da­gouxi Trail in the ­Neihu District, Xian­ji­yan Trail in the Wen­shan District, and Tiger Mountain Creek Trail and ­Tiaomi Old Trail in the ­Xinyi District.

The Taipei tree frog uses its suction-cup toes to nimbly climb on branches and leaves. This frog amply demonstrates its ability to do the splits.

What’s so special about urban frog watching?

Yang Yi-ju, associate professor of natural resources and environmental studies at National Dong Hwa University, explains that there are over 6,000 species of frogs and toads in the world. Though only 33 of them are found in Taiwan, the country ranks top in the world for frog population density.

Even more interesting is that a third of Taiwan’s frog species are tree frogs. These include the Tai­pei tree frog (Rha­co­phorus tai­pei­anus), the Mien­tien tree frog (Ku­rix­alus idio­oto­cus), and the farmland tree frog (Rha­co­phorus ar­va­lis). The toes of tree frogs are shaped like suction cups, enabling them to climb nimbly among leaves and branches. Their skin color varies from light to dark green depending on the environment, and they’re quite delightful in appearance. “Taiwan really is a frog watching paradise,” says Yang.

Yang, hailed as the “frog princess,” has traveled to many countries to study frogs. She says that though Africa is indeed a wildlife paradise, nobody dares venture out after nightfall for fear of attack by wild animals. And in places like Thailand or Sarawak, Malaysia, poor signage means that you could spend five or six hours looking for the right path, so a frog watching trip there often ends up like a journey through a maze.

Moreover, when frogging in countries that, though rich in natural resources, are underdeveloped, you risk contracting dengue fever from mosquito bites. So the safest, most convenient and most suitable place for family frog watching is Taiwan.

“And now with the MRT system in Tai­pei, frog watching trails are easily accessible. They’re like your own back yard,” says Yang.

During the tadpole stage, the ornate narrow-mouthed frog (Microhyla ornate) is translucent, glittering in the light.

Places that are swampy with ample vegetation cover make good habitats for frogs, but not every species of frog can be found everywhere in Taiwan. For example, the Taipei tree frog depends on rainwater from the northeasterly monsoon to provide a breeding medium, so its habitat is limited to northern and central Taiwan.

Each region of Taiwan has its own primary and secondary frog species. With prior knowledge of the ecology of frog habitats you’ll know which frog species you’ll expect to find. This way you won’t come back from a frogging trip disappointed.

For instance, Fu­yang and Zhong­qiang Parks in downtown Tai­pei are both considered hallowed ground for the Tai­pei tree frog in the minds of frog lovers. But if you go, don’t look just for Tai­pei tree frogs: make sure you don’t forget other frog species such as Brauer’s tree frog (Poly­ped­ates brau­eri) and Günther’s frog (Hy­la­rana guen­theri).

For a fun and educational frog watching trip, you would do well to study frog field guides; you can also find recordings of different frog species’ calls online. But more pro-level frog watching activities are also available, led by expert guides.

For example, on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, Yang Yi-ju alternates between the Wa­zi­wei wetland in Bali, New Tai­pei City, and Tai­chung Metropolitan Park in Tai­chung, leading groups (often of more than 20 people) on frog watching excursions, where they keep track of frog species. And Su Sheng­xiong, a retired elementary-school science teacher who has championed environmental education for years, now trains local frogging volunteers to teach visitors to Zhong­qiang Park and Elephant Mountain Trail about the local frogs and natural ecology.

During the April to September mating season of Brauer’s tree frog, one often can see several males vying to mate with a single female.

Breeding season is the best time for frog watching. Most frog species mate in the summertime, but the Taipei tree frog, the darling of Taiwanese frog lovers, mates only from December to March, so their mating calls aren’t audible during summer nights.

“The first tip to frog watching is to listen carefully to their calls. This is how you can determine their position and find them,” says Su, sharing his experience.

“It’s not easy. It’s really not easy,” says Su. Even after repeated listening to recordings of frog calls available online, when you arrive at the frogging site it’s hard to avoid getting the calls mixed up.

The common Chinese tree frog is the only frog in Taiwan belonging to the genus Hyla.

If frog watching in the city isn’t your cup of tea, you can take a stroll on the forest trails of Yang­ming­shan and enjoy a frogging trip truly free from the disturbance of noise. Last year, Yang Yi-ju mapped out 16 frog watching trails there. She especially recommends the Mian­tian­ping Trail, for which the Mien­tien tree frog is named, and the Er­zi­ping Trail, which connects to it. Common to this area are the Tai­pei tree frog, Eiffinger’s tree frog (Ku­rix­alus eif­fing­eri), the common Chinese tree frog (Hyla chi­nen­sis) and the Bankor toad (Bufo ban­ko­ren­sis).

Yang­ming­shan’s Zhu­zihu area, known throughout Taiwan for its calla lily fields, is another superb frog habitat because of all the ponds. Here, you can find the common Chinese tree frog, the Indian cricket frog (Fe­jer­varya lim­no­charis), the olive frog (Ba­bina adeno­pleura), the Tai­pei tree frog, and Eif­finger’s tree frog. It’s a rich resource for frog watching.

Taxonomically, toads are actually frogs, belonging to the order An­ura. But popularly, toads are distinguished by their coarse skin, short legs and slow movements, while frogs have smooth, moist skin and slender limbs built for jumping. Says Yang, a 2012 survey of Yang­ming­shan National Park found 19 frog and toad species, well over half of Taiwan’s 33 species. With such a high share of species, this place is clearly a prime breeding ground for frogs.

Taiwan is truly a frog watching paradise, and Tai­pei is the most convenient place in Taiwan for frogging. Whether you live in Tai­pei or are just visiting, don’t forget that every day is Frog Day.

The inside of the thighs of Moltrecht’s green tree frog (Rhacophorus moltrechti) are bright red, as if it’s wearing red underwear.

Guided by scholars, interested members of the public carry out a survey of frog ecology in the wetlands of Waziwei in Bali, New Taipei City.