I was all excited to see this attractive frog, at that time a new species for me. It was not very cooperative, and could leap prodigiously, and we chased it around for a long time before it finally settled down long enough for a few photos. Later I discovered that it is by far the most common and widespread frog in Madagascar, and we saw dozens and dozens of them.

Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2007 trip to Madagascar.

This was the second in the soon-to-be-vast set of these frogs that we saw throughout Madagascar.

These frogs were abundant on the grounds of Chez Arol.

The garden pond at Anjajavy at night was filled with and surrounded by three types of frogs: small Boophis doulioti treefrogs, toad-like Tomopterna labrosa, and a few of these more typical frogs. The ones here looked a little different than ones we had seen elsewhere, and in particular some of them (like this one) had prominently green dorsal stripes. I hadn't found any mention of green dorsal stripes on this species until after my trip, when the third edition of Glaw and Vences was finally published. That book mentions the occasional green stripe and includes a photo of a green-striped individual.

After a rainstorm, a few of these widespread frogs appeared on the forest trails.

Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.

The next morning, this one had staked out a position on a walkway in front of the lodge.

Very few frog species range widely across Madagascar, but this one has managed to, probably because it does very well in disturbed habitats.

Another location on this trip, more Ptychadena mascarenensis. You couldn't avoid them if you wanted to.

Headed into the dry south, but not yet dry enough to discourage the Ptychadena.

Where there is standing water in Madagascar, there will be Ptychadena mascareniensis. In this case the standing water was irrigating fields behind the hotel, where they grew vegetables for their restaurant.