Common Name: Kalimantan Jungle Toad, Bornean Flat-headed Frog, or Kalimantan Stream Frog
Scientific Name: Barbourula kalimantanensis
Family: Bombinatoridae – Fire Bellied Toad family
Location: Indonesia
Size: 3 inches (7.7 cm), males slightly smaller than females
The Kalimantan Jungle Toad was thought to not have lungs. This would have made it the the only frog or toad to not have any. In 2024, researchers discovered small lungs using micro CT scanning. The frogs survives with these very small, almost useless lungs due to it living in cold, clear, fast water streams that have plenty of dissolved oxygen in the water. Their flatness allows for more absorption of the oxygen through the skin. The frogs are fully aquatic, never leaving the water. They live in remote areas of the rain forest. Sadly, not much is known about the frog’s life history.
Sadly, these streams that they call home are becoming polluted due to illegal logging and gold mining. It is why the Kalimantan Jungle Toad is listed as Endangered according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Also the logging removes cover over the streams, allowing them to be heated up by the sun, making them unsuitable for the frog.