More than 10 years ago, during a night walk at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia), my guide Jimmy suddenly shouted, “Hey! There’s a horned frog here!” “Where?” I asked. I only saw him pointing his flashlight at a leaf—but I didn’t see any frog. Then he picked up the “leaf” and showed me a horned frog in his hand. I was amazed by its perfect camouflage and strange appearance. Since then, I’ve been a fan of horned frogs.
The horned frogs of Borneo belong to the family Megophryidae. They all have pointy, leaf-like projections extending from their eyelids, helping it blend into the foliage.
No, horned frogs are not horny. They have large, broad heads, and their “horns” are pointy, triangular projections extending from the edges of their eyelids. The horns and snouts mimic curled, pointed leaf tips. Each species has different “horns.” Their bodies are usually brown or reddish-brown, matching the forest foliage. These features make horned frogs masters of disguise. They stay still and stealthy, waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey that passes by.
1) Bornean Horned Frog
The first horned frog I ever photographed was a Bornean Horned Frog. With the “horns” on its head, it looks so grumpy and sinister that if a princess kissed it, she’d probably turn it into a demon—the prince of darkness—instead of a handsome prince. Just kidding. It’s actually a very docile frog.
The Bornean horned frog (Pelobatrachus nasutus), also known as the long-nosed horned frog or Malayan leaf frog. This one has a bright orange throat, which is unique to this species.
The Bornean Horned Frog, also known as the Malayan Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus nasuta), is the most common and widespread horned frog species. You can find it in both lowland and highland forests of Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra.
Malayan horned frog lives in the lowland rainforest. It’s not endemic to Borneo and is relatively more common than other species. This one is from Poring.
It has the most prominent and protruding horn-like projections from its eyelids and snout. Some individuals have an orange throat, making them very photogenic. This frog comes in shades of light greyish to reddish-brown. If you hear loud honks that sound like a metal instrument near a stream, that’s probably the Bornean Horned Frog.
2) Montane Horned Frog
The Montane Horned Frog, or Kobayashi’s Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus kobayashii), is endemic to Sabah, Malaysia. I consider it the most iconic frog of Sabah. It lives mostly in montane forests between 1,200 and 1,700 metres above sea level, usually hidden in the leaf litter or along rocky stream banks.
Endemic to Borneo, Montane horned frog (Pelobatrachus kobayashii) lives in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
If the name “Kobayashi” sounds Japanese—yes, you’re right. The species was named after Dr. Tatsuo Kobayashi, a Japanese biologist who collected the first known specimen during a scientific expedition.
I spotted this Montane Horned Frog in Kinabalu Park
3) Kinabalu Horned Frog
The Kinabalu Horned Frog, also called the Balu Spadefoot Toad (Pelobatrachus baluensis), is another species found exclusively in Sabah, living only in the mountains of western Sabah.
The Kinabalu horned frog or Balu spadefoot toad (Pelobatrachus baluensis) in Kinabalu Park.
Endemic to the highlands of northern Borneo, the Kinabalu Horned Frog breeds only in cool, clear, rocky streams. During the day, it lies camouflaged among the forest floor’s leaf litter, emerging at night to call for mates.
Kinabalu horned frog is named after Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain of Malaysia.
4) Rough-backed Horned Frog
The Rough-backed Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus edwardinae) is also known as the Rough Horned Frog, Edwardina’s Horned Frog, or Edwardina’s Spadefoot Toad. It lives in steep or hilly lowland rainforests and is endemic to Borneo.
Rough-backed horned frog is a stocky, medium-sized frog, with slender legs, in clay brown colour.
This elusive frog is rarely seen due to its excellent camouflage and earthy colours. Chien Lee, a well-known wildlife photographer, spent nearly two weeks doing repeated night hikes in the forest without success. He finally found one by following a peculiar squeaking call—coming from the leaf litter just behind his camp kitchen!
Tropical moist lowland forests and rivers are the preferred habitats of the Rough-backed horned frog.
As for me? One just hopped right up to me at the toilet of Borneo Jungle Girl Camp in Nuluhon Trusmadi after a heavy rain. Lucky, huh?
Where to See Horned Frogs?
Horned frogs live on the forest floor, from 60 to 1,900 metres above sea level. They usually hide in burrows, under leaf litter, beneath dead logs, or behind large rocks during the day. They prefer moist environments and are often found near streams, rivers, and wetlands with dense vegetation and high humidity.
A horned frog fan got this frog tattooed on his upper arm.
The hardest part is spotting them—they’re almost invisible due to their camouflage. For better chances, hire a guide for a night walk or herping trip in Kinabalu Park or Poring. Experienced guides can even locate them by their loud, harsh calls.
The good news? They can’t hop far or fast due to their short legs and heavy bodies. They usually stay still and try to blend in, making them great subjects for photography.
When night falls in Borneo, most tourists call it a day, while there are a group of tourists who can’t wait to enter the dark rainforest. The chorus of frogs and crickets masks their footsteps as they scan the foliage with flashlights, searching high and low for the critters that come alive after sunset. Whenever someone pauses with a gasp of wonder, the others eagerly gather to witness a rare and extraordinary discovery. For these explorers, the night is when the rainforest truly awakens—usually after 7 p.m.
The Borneo rainforest never sleeps; in fact, its animals are even busier at night.
Borneo is one of the top destinations for night walks and herping—a niche activity for enthusiasts seeking reptiles and amphibians in their natural habitats. Sabah, in particular, boasts a rich array of endemic animals with vibrant colours and unique forms. As advertised in National Geographic, Borneo island is renowned for its biodiversity. For instance, a single tree can host hundreds of species. Among the treasures you might encounter are tarsiers, flying frogs, stick insects, leopard cats, and snakes.
It’s easier to find frogs, snakes, and lizards at night because most of them are nocturnal. You would be disappointed if you look for them during daytime.
For some, bugs and snakes might not seem endearing. However, this fear often stems from a lack of understanding, exacerbated by modern lifestyles that disconnect us from nature. Today, children may even shy away from chickens—a far cry from the days when our grandparents shared stories of catching crickets, collecting fireflies for lanterns, keeping scorpions as pets, or enjoying frog delicacies.
Most snakes and spiders in Sabah are neither aggressive nor dangerous. In fact, the “cute” hippo and kangaroo are far more dangerous.
If you find wild critters fascinating and night walks thrilling, you’re in luck! Sabah boasts several fantastic spots where you can observe a diverse range of wildlife, including frogs and toads, tarsiers, slow lorises, flying squirrels, civets, badgers, leopard cats, lizards, snakes, geckos, birds, stick insects, spiders, snails, millipedes, and moths. It’s a dream for macro photographers, as many creatures stay still, making close observation and photography easy.
Left: Stick insect. Right: Daddy longlegs (Harvestman). Did you know that female stick insects can reproduce without males? They clone themselves through their eggs! In the past, some village kids even snacked on these eggs. And guess what? Daddy longlegs isn’t a spider! Night walks are full of fascinating critters to discover.
Best Locations
The two best locations for night walks and herping are Kinabalu Park and Poring. These destinations are popular because they offer a combination of highland and lowland habitats and are only 19 km apart. Note that most locations require permits or guides for night walks. If you’re searching for rare and endemic frogs, lizards, and snakes in Borneo, consider joining the Borneo herping tour led by Kurt Orionmystery.
1) Kinabalu Park (Kundasang)
Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site, showcases the biodiversity of Borneo. Situated at approximately 1,563 metres (5,128 feet) above sea level, this montane forest is ideal for night walks. Visitors must register with Sabah Parks during daytime office hours and hire a guide (fees apply).
Left to right, top to bottom: Sabah Pit Viper (Trimeresurus sabahi), Kinabalu Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus baluensis), Tree Frog, and Slug Snake.
Possible Sightings
🐍 Malcom’s Pit Viper, Dragon Snake, Sabah Pit Viper, Chasen’s Mountain Pit Viper, Kinabalu Brown Pit Viper, Black Striped Coral Snake, Schmidt’s Reed Snake, Dark-headed Black Snake, Borneo Red Snake, Borneo Black Snake, Dark Spined Kukri Snake, Candy Cane Snake, Gold White-Spotted Cat Snake, Sabah Slender Slug Snake, Stuebing’s Slug Snake, Inger’s Slug Snake
At 550 metres (1,804 feet) above sea level, Poring features a tropical rainforest home to lowland species. There are two night walk spots: one within Poring Hot Springs (a substation of Kinabalu Park) and the other at Lupa Masa, a private area adjacent to the park.
Left to right, top to bottom: Sumatran Pit Viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus), Hole-in-the-head Frog (Huia cavitympanum), Cat Gecko, and Giant Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus grandis).
Tawau Hills Park, locally known as Taman Bukit Tawau, is a protected lowland forest and water catchment area on Sabah’s east coast. Home to some of the world’s tallest tropical trees, this park is a paradise for birdwatching, hiking, and herping, thanks to its sprawling rivers and streams teeming with life. The park is also rich in wildlife, featuring creatures like maroon leaf monkeys and hornbills. For accommodation and guiding services, reach out to 1Stop Borneo.
Left to right, top to bottom: Leaf Insect (Phyllium agnesagamaae), river turtle, Saffron-bellied Frog (Chaperina fusca) guiding its eggs in a tree hole, Common Mock Viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus)
The Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) is renowned for its Rainforest Skywalk—the longest canopy walkway in Sabah, spanning an impressive 620 metres. Visitors can also explore an extensive network of nature trails that showcase the diverse lowland rainforest of Sepilok.
Left: Tarsier, Right: Bent-toed Gecko
Night walks are held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with registration required at the ticketing counter before 5 p.m. Depending on your luck, you might spot fascinating creatures like the Bornean tarsier, slow loris, civets, moonrats, flying squirrels, glowworms, or even owls.
Danum Valley is home to Borneo’s oldest primary rainforest. This dense forest shelters iconic wildlife such as orangutans, clouded leopards, tarsiers, and hornbills. The elusive Bornean Bristlehead is also a prized sight for birdwatchers.
Left: Leopard Cat, Right: A sleeping black-crowned pitta (Erythropitta ussheri)
While herping here can be rewarding, the valley’s remote location and premium costs may not suit everyone. For a luxurious experience, stay at the 5-star Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Budget travellers can opt for the Danum Valley Field Centre (also known as the Danum Valley Studies Centre).
Other Good Locations
The following are other great spots for night walks and herping. Even seasoned entomologists and herpetologists may uncover rare and fascinating finds.
Crocker Range Park, the largest terrestrial park in Sabah, features lush lowland rainforests and mixed hill dipterocarp forests. The park’s headquarters in Keningau boasts facilities such as accommodation and camping grounds. Visitors can book a guide at the office during the day to explore the 2-kilometre nature trail at night. One of the park’s standout features is its variety of stick insects, along with hidden gems like glowworms.
Left to right, top to bottom: A large stick insect, Lampyridae firefly (note its glowing tail), a tarantula spider probably, newly hatched Flatid Planthopper
Kinabatangan Floodplain is Sabah’s largest wetland and a RAMSAR site, renowned as a prime destination for spotting Bornean pygmy elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, and eight species of hornbills. Night walks here are often optional tours offered by lodges and resorts near secondary forests, oxbow lakes, or swampy areas. These environments host unique species you may not find in other rainforests. For those seeking a promising spot, Danau Girang is worth considering.
Left to Right: a frilled tree frog on a vine, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Ornate Shrub Lizard (Aphaniotis ornata)
Located about a two-hour hike from Kiau Village in Kota Belud, Miki Survival Camp offers visitors an immersive experience in rainforest survival. While the camp is known for teaching survival skills, the night walks are equally remarkable. Though the amenities are basic (no electricity), the sightings here rival those in Kinabalu Park.
Left to Right: Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis), a well-camouflaged katydid, huge caterpillar of a moth, Borneo Slug Snake (Asthenodipsas borneensis)
My visit to Tabin Wildlife Reserve included a single night walk, which was enjoyable though it didn’t yield anything particularly memorable. However, the reserve has hosted projects like the Frog Camp programme, indicating its potential as an excellent herping site.
Left to right, top to bottom: Buffy Fish Owl, Lantern Bug (Pyrops transversolineatus), Striped Bronzeback, Palm Civet
5) Kionsom (Kota Kinabalu)
If you prefer a herping spot close to Kota Kinabalu City, Kionsom in Inanam is a convenient option, located just 20 minutes from the city. This hilly area, interspersed with numerous streams, offers a variety of wildlife. You can arrange tours through Ki-Onsoi Herping.
Left to Right: Whip Scorpion or Vinegaroon (Thelyphonidae), Giant River Toad, Long-legged Scutigerid centipede
Possible Sightings
🐍 Borneo Python, Vine Snake, Bornean Keeled Pit Viper, White-fronted Water Snake, Striped Bronzeback, Elegant Bronzeback
🐸 Northern Torrent Frog, Giant River Toad, File-eared Frog
6) Sayap Substation (Kota Belud)
Sayap, one of Kinabalu Park’s substations, also serves as the starting point for climbing Mount Minodtuhan. Though this place is far and less accessible, it’s gaining popularity among herpes as it is located in a transitional and riverine zone between lowland and montane forests, where animals from both habitats can be found!
Left: Bornean Horned Frog, Right: Stick Insect
Possible Sightings
🐍 Sabah Bamboo Pit Viper, Borneo Red Snake
🐸 Golden-legged Bush Frog, Long-fingered Stream Toad, Bornean Horned Frog, Masked Tree Frog
The best time for night walk is during new moon, ideally after rain. When it’s full moon, the nocturnal animals are more sensitive and stay hidden away from the bright moonlight. That affects herping as insects are afraid of frogs, frogs are afraid of snake, and snakes are afraid of owl.
Left: Beware of fire ants—socks and jeans won’t stop their painful stings. Right: Rubber boots are ideal for night walks as they protect against ant bites, snake bites, and leech bites, while also being waterproof.
What to Bring and Wear on a Night Walk
Never go alone. A knowledgeable guide increases your chances of wildlife encounters.
Travel with a group to split guiding costs.
Night walks can last hours—carry a flashlight with a long battery life. Bring spare flashlight or extra batteries.
Headlamps are convenient but may attract insects like wasps to your faces.
Look for the reflective eyes of animals to spot them in the dark.
Bring a raincoat for unexpected rain.
Wear anti-leech socks; leeches indicate a thriving forest ecosystem.
Opt for water-resistant hiking shoes or rubber boots for muddy and swampy areas.
Beware of fire ants, which are active at night and have painful stings.
Follow your guide’s instructions and avoid touching anything.
Useful Books
These field guides by Natural History Publications (Borneo) are useful for herping enthusiasts:
A Field Guide to the Snakes of Borneo (2nd edition) by Björn Lardner, Rob Stuebing, Robert Inger. ISBN: 978-983-812-151-4
A Field Guide to the Frogs of Borneo (3rd edition) by Robert F. Inger, Robert B. Stuebing, T. Ulmar Grafe, J. Maximilian Dehling. ISBN: 9789838121767
Amphibians & Reptiles in Sabah by Robert F. Inger and Tan Fui Lian. ISBN: 983-812-010-3
It was an exciting night in Poring rainforest. I finally found the insect that I had been looking for years. Many friends are also very impressed with this insect. Please read on to see it.
I suppose Poring rainforest is an ideal site for night walk due to its rich flora and fauna. Surprisingly, no tourist asks for a night safari in Poring, so I had to hire a nature guide to start one at 7pm. The fee is about RM70-100 (?USD20-30) per hour. We have a happy start when we spot a white wolf spider with red mouth.
Above: A litter frog that has big head, cute..
Then we saw a giant river toad, which is endemic to Borneo and famous for its foul smell. I didn’t smell anything though. There is a myth that this toad will laugh if you tickle its belly.
We rub its belly gently with a twig. You may watch the 1-min video below to see if it laughs:
There are quite a number of big spider around, like the leopard spider above. It is easy to spot them coz their eyes reflect our torchlight.
Small spider waits for prey in fungus cup.
A very long stick insect. The guide says the village kids are used to eat the eggs of stick insect because its eggs are big and look like chocolate.
Fat stick insect on tapioca leaf. Seem like stick insect loves tapioca leaf coz I found a few more.
Here comes the highlight of my night walk. Can you spot anything in the photo above?
Can’t see it? Below is the answer. It’s a Leaf mimicking Grasshopper (Chorotypus gallinaceus) that perfectly camouflaged as a dead leaf.
I had heard about this insect. I’m so glad to see one. When I was busy taking its photo, suddenly it just played dead and dropped itself to the ground. The guide and me shouted, “Oh sh*t!” because it would be very hard to spot it among the foliage. Luckily we located it again.
We also saw a big snail near Kipungit Waterfall. So far it’s the largest forest snail that I’ve ever seen.
Above: Giant bent-toed gecko on tree trunk.
There are some tiger leeches lurking in the bush. They were so excited when they sensed our heat.
Another highlight is the mating of two tiger leeches. It lasts for quite a long time and both leeches caress each other like crazy. You may see their action in the 1-min video below: Click Here for bigger video
Our night walk ended at 11pm, just before the heavy rain came. I can’t wait to go back there again one day. If you love such activity, Poring is highly recommended for night safari.
Miki Survival Camp is a tourism project initiated by the community of Kiau. After they ran the project, villagers started to realize the benefits of the conservation. Instead of clearing the forest for farming, they keep the jungles, especially those near to Miki camp. Personally I like to visit those pristine places other than those attractions developed by blood-sucking and money-minded tour operators, who only want to build luxury chalets and charge tourists by thousand$$$.
After having warm porridge as lunch, our guide, Jimmy, led us for the afternoon education tour. He showed us some of the common traps used by the locals to catch wild animals. All traps are cleverly designed, with ropes, wood, strings, gravity and spring force as mechanism, no battery required. They either setup the trap in the animal path or put bait inside the trap. Jimmy also blew a folded ginger leaf, making sound to lure kijang (a lamb like small deer).
Few traps can be quite nasty, like the Vunsoi trap, if the wild boar or deer trips on a string, it will release a wooden bow spring that swing a spear. They even have smaller traps for snake, squirrel, mouse and jungle fowl. To avoid being wordy, I put more photos in album with captions, for your further reading. Tourists who join Miki Camp will get a small book, with info on trap setting. Besides the traps, Jimmy also told us the edible stuffs such as wild ginger fruit (tampo) and fern (pakis), herbal plant such as wadan vine, poisonous plant such as tohipoi, wild plum and bekago. It is interesting and useful to know all these.
Because of the wet forest floor, as we moved deeper inside the jungle, we were attacked by legion of tiger leeches. The leeches were hiding in the vegetation next to the trail, as we walked by, our raincoats were also sweeping the plant, harvesting leeches like vacuum. Haha… this is also part of the experience. We checked on each other regularly, remove leeches on our raincoat, so nobody got bitten (miracle!). Jimmy collected over 10 leeches and rub them in his palm, the heat killed all the leeches, and he showed me the “leech ball”, iyaak!
Later we were back to the campsite and Jimmy demo some craft works and skills, like making bamboo mat and roof, splitting firewood (in fastest and effortless way), creating bamboo fish trap (berusat), using blowpipe, etc. While we were happily sharing our excitement of the day, Rayner had started cooking our dinner, probably lizard soup and worm noodles, just kidding..
Early dinner in jungle is advisable. If you eat at night with light on, it will attract all sorts of flying bugs from the forest. We had fried rice, mixed vegetables, ketchup chicken and crab soup as our dinner. Rayner is such a good cook, or we were too hungry. It was also nice to have a cup of coffee or tea in the cold.
Jungle seemed to get dark sooner. The cold night kicked in, after a heavy meal, everyone already felt sleepy next to the fire place.
NIGHT WALK
The next programme was the one I anticipated the most, the night walk. In daytime, we didn’t see a lot of wild things, I only saw a huge stink bug and a Daddy Long Legs (Harvestmen Spider). However, the jungle is a extremely busy world at night. We started the night walk at 7:00pm and the noisy surrounding sounded very promising. In search of rare and weird bug, some foreigner photographers had visited this site much more earlier than me. In fact, this area is the buffer zone between Kiau Village and Kinabalu Park that is rich in biodiversity. With the aid of torchlight, we slowly walked across the jungle and scanned the plant and trees like treasure hunt.
After a short walk, the guide said, “turn off your light.” “Huh? what?” I replied but did so anyway. Then we saw patches of glowing green in total darkness (see photo above). “That’s a glowing fungus,” Jimmy said. When we turned on the light again, we only saw very ordinary green fungus on a rotten tree log. I was really thrilled and setup my tripod, attempting to capture the glow. I only took one shot coz I didn’t want everyone waited for me. Later we also spotted glowing mushroom.
Then the next interesting creature we saw was a very tiny frog (see photo above). It is so small that any normal frog can swallow it in one snap. It was sitting on a ordinary-size leaf. We carried on and saw more bugs, most were creepy types that could make girls screamed. I didn’t stop clicking my camera, every few steps there would be new things, like firefly, frogs (some are poisonous), stick insect, cricket, grasshopper, forest cockroaches, gecko, cave centipede, big snail, etc.
Guess what was the biggest bug we saw that night? It was not frog and lizard. The jackpot of this night walk was a giant caterpillar (see photo below)! This caterpillar is longer than my palm, probably about 7 inches long. Jimmy said, “I also never see anything like this before. You are so lucky.” Anyone can tell me what it is? We tried to look for the horned frog but didn’t find any. I was so happy already anyway. The cold weather drained the power of my camera battery very fast. My last battery only had two bars of power left. I needed to save it for next day. Damn… otherwise I would have spent more time and shot more…
About an hour later, we returned to our camp. There was no electricity and TV, so we went to bed, without taking a bath, lol… Though our camps were not too far apart, it was totally dark and I felt that my camp was alone. It was so noisy at night, with sounds from frogs, bugs and birds. Some lame writers like to describe this as the “orchestra” of jungle sounds. To me, it is just plain noisy. Since I was so tired, that didn’t really bother me. In midnight, I was waked up by a loud bang. Next day the guide told me it was bamboo “exploding”, it is common and can be as loud as gun shot.
Temperature still dropped in late night. So cold that everyone of us waked up and put on more clothing. Very soon I wanted to pee. I grabbed my torchlight and walked to the toilet. On the way back, I saw something moving slowly on a log. It was a very beautiful snake, with gold color and tiger-like stripes on its body, and got red eyes! It saw me and stayed motionless. Quickly I ran to my camp, took my camera and shot some photos. I was so glad I didn’t step on this snake by accident. When I was back to town, a snake expert told me that it’s a Bornean Dark-necked Slug Snake (Asthenodipsas borneensis) which feeds on snails and slugs. It’s endemic to Borneo and I’m very lucky to see one.
