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FROGS

The class Amphibia has three orders, only one of which, the Anura (frogs), occurs in southern Africa. The other two orders are the Caudata (salamanders and newts of the northern hemisphere) and the Apoda (legless caecilians confined to tropical forests). Amphibians are distinguished by having two stages to their life: the larval or tadpole stage, which in most species is aquatic and vegetarian, and the terrestrial, four-legged, carnivorous adult.

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The terms frog and toad are confusing. The Anura include more than a dozen families, each with its own distinctive characteristics. One of these families, the Bufonidae, which is characterised by laying its eggs in strings, was identified as toads by early naturalists. It is more correct to refer to all the Anura as frogs, regarding toads as simply one family of frogs.

The skin of frogs is permeable to water and, if unprotected in dry conditions, the animal soon desiccates. Most species therefore hide in dark, humid retreats during the day. The skin is glandular and secretes fluids. The secretions of the parotid glands on the necks of some species are toxic or distasteful to predators. Other secretions keep the skin moist to allow the absorption of oxygen.

Frog mouths are generally wide to allow large prey items to be swallowed whole. In all species except the platanna, which feeds underwater, the tongue is hinged at the front of the mouth and flipped forward and out to pick up food items. Most species have no teeth. The two bullfrog species have two tooth-like projections in the lower jaw which are used to fasten onto prey and to bite attackers. The giant bullfrog feeds on other frogs, small mammals, reptiles and large insects.

In most species, the eyes are large and well developed for nocturnal activity. The tympanum, or eardrum, is usually large because calling, and therefore hearing, is of considerable importance to their biology.

Toes and feet are adapted to suit the habitat in which the species occurs and are often a useful means of iden tification. Species that frequently enter water have webbed feet. Digging species have hardened tubercles on the heels. Climbing species have adhesive pads on the toe tips, and the Desert rain frog has thickly webbed feet to aid movement on loose desert sand.

Scope of this chapter

About 130 species of frogs have been recorded in southern Africa, of which 95 are covered in this chapter. Those that have been omitted are confined to the extremities of the region or are rarely seen.

Distribution

Frog species in southern Africa can be divided into three broad geographic groups:

• Tropical species (33% of all species) are found in the north and northwest of southern Africa. The ranges of most of these species extend northwards into equatorial Africa and few are found south of the Orange or Tugela rivers.

• Transitional species (47% of all species) are located mostly in the eastern high rainfall areas.

• Cape species (20% of all species) are endemic to the southern part of the area, especially the southwest.

Some species have extremely limited ranges, while others are widely dispersed in a variety of localities and climatic regions. However, most species are fairly restricted in the type of habitat they prefer, especially in their choice of breeding site, and this is a useful guide to their identification.

Frog calls

The mating call of male frogs is essential to the survival of frogs because in each species it is unique and is the signal by which the females recognise partners of their own kind. It follows that the most reliable way to identify species of frogs is by learning their calls. Other sounds produced less frequently by frogs are used to alarm predators, to keep males spaced apart at the breeding site and to summon other males to the chorus. The female has her own particular release call to terminate mating.

Frogs produce their calls by passing air back and forth from the lungs to the mouth cavity over the vocal cords. The mouth is kept closed and the sound is intensified by resonance in the vocal sac, a highly elastic skin pouch under the throat. Male advertisement calls are often made in chorus and may continue incessantly from sunset until well past midnight.

Reproduction and development

Once the females are attracted to the breeding site, mating takes place. Fertilisation is external and the male clasps the female, depositing sperm onto the eggs as they are laid. The eggs have no shells and most species breed in water to avoid desiccation. However, several species have developed specialised egg-laying strategies: foam-nest frogs climb into trees overhanging water and create a ball of froth around the eggs as they are laid. The foam insulates the eggs and protects them from predation. The tadpoles fall into the water below. Leaf-folding frogs protect their eggs underwater by enclosing them in a folded and glued leaf. Rain frogs lay their eggs in moist cavities underground. The emergent tadpoles remain in the cavity, nourished by the egg-yolk, until they emerge as fully formed miniature frogs.

The tadpole or larval stage is also very vulnerable. With the exception of rainfrogs and a few other species that have also developed terrestrial breeding, tadpoles are aquatic. In temperate high rainfall areas many species have a larval stage that lasts for several months or even a year. In more erratic climates, metamorphosis of the tadpoles is rapid and they emerge and disperse as immature froglets before the breeding site dries up.

Dimensions

The dimensions given with the illustrations of frogs refer to the total body length from the snout to the sternum. Limbs are excluded.

Amietophrynus gutturalis

1   GUTTURAL TOAD

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Skin has rough, lumpy elevations. Elongated swelling on each shoulder. Brown or grey. Pairs of dark, irregular dorsal patches: one pair on snout, another over eyes. Red tincture on thighs. Belly granular off-white. Male has dark throat. Call: vibrant snores usually in large choruses. Eggs laid in jelly strings in shallow water. Bushveld and grassland north of Orange River.

Similar

SAND TOAD Vandijkophrynus angusticeps

No red on legs. Western Cape.

AMATOLA TOAD Vandijkophrynus amatolica

No red on legs. Amatola Mountains, Eastern Cape.

FLAT-BACKED TOAD Amietophrynus maculatus

No red on legs. Lowveld.

OLIVE TOAD Amietophrynus garmani and A. poweri

Red on legs. No snout patches. North of Vaal and Tugela rivers.

LEOPARD TOAD Amietophrynus pardalis and A. pantherinus

No red on legs. No patches on snout. Eastern and Western Cape.

RAUCOUS TOAD Amietophrynus rangeri

No red on legs. No patches on snout. Dark bar between eyes.

Vandijkophrynus gariepensis

2   KAROO TOAD

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Skin covered with rounded lumps. Large swelling on each shoulder. Dull brown, often with irregular darker patches. Belly granular, sometimes spotted. Thick ridge of skin on inside edge of foot. Call: rasping squawks alternating between males. Jelly strings of eggs laid in streams or rain pools in Karoo scrub or grassland. Central and southern interior.

Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti

3   NORTHERN PYGMY TOAD

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Skin rough, leathery. Mottled dark patches on back, pale patch between shoulders. Belly granular, sometimes spotted. Male has yellow throat. Call: short, quick nasal rasping. Eggs laid in exposed rain pools in rocky, barren areas. Northern and eastern South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Similar

SOUTHERN PYGMY TOAD P. vertebralis

Central interior grassland and Karoo.

Capensibufo rosei

4   ROSE’S MOUNTAIN TOAD

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Skin smooth with blister-like elevations. Irregular patterns with pale vertebral stripe and bar between eyes. Rufous on flanks. Glandular lumps on shoulders and lower legs. Belly has dark marbling. Call unheard. Breeds in shallow depressions in mountain fynbos. Southwest of Tulbagh.

Similar

TRADOUW MOUNTAIN TOAD C. tradouwi

Mountains east of Tulbagh. Squeaky call.

Schismaderma carens

5   RED TOAD

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Skin leathery. Russet with one or two pairs of spots. Dark glandular line separates russet back from grey-mottled flanks. Belly granular with grey flecks. Call: deep, protracted boom often in choruses. Breeds in permanent deep water in grassland. North of Vaal and Tugela rivers.

Arthroleptis wahlbergi

1   BUSH SQUEAKER

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Distinct hourglass pattern on back. Belly granular with grey flecking. Call: long, thin, mournful squeak repeated continuously from concealed position in undergrowth. Eggs laid among decaying vegetation away from water. Tadpoles develop in jelly capsule. Southern and eastern coastal belt.

Similar

SHOVEL-FOOTED SQUEAKER A. stenodactylus

Large digging tubercle on heel.

Hemisus marmoratus

2    MOTTLED SHOVEL-NOSED FROG

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Rotund body. Hard, sharp snout. Small eyes, vertical pupils. Mottled grey and brown. Belly smooth, pinkish-white. Male dark under jaw. Call: incessant buzzing from mud banks, easily mistaken for mole cricket. Eggs laid underground where tadpoles develop. Eastern lowveld.

Similar

SPOTTED SHOVEL-NOSED FROG H. guttatus

Yellow spots on brown background.

Breviceps gibbosus

3    CAPE RAIN FROG

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Rotund, inflatable body. Flattened snout. Small eyes, horizontal pupils. Granular grey-brown and cream skin. Belly granular, mottled brown and cream. Large digging tubercle on heel. Call: burred squawk repeated at short intervals. Eggs laid underground where tadpoles develop. Southwestern Cape.

Similar

STRAWBERRY RAIN FROG B. acutirostris

Pink skin with black granules. Southwestern Cape forests.

PLAIN RAIN FROG B. fuscus

Charcoal to brown skin, black granules. Southern Cape forests.

PLAINTIVE RAIN FROG B. verrucosus

Indistinct broad vertebral band. Eastern forests.

Breviceps adspersus

4   BUSHVELD RAIN FROG

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Body toad-like, inflated when threatened. Horizontal pupil. Dark brown with orange-brown patches. Belly smooth, whitish. Male has dark throat. Large digging tubercle on heel. Call: short burred whistle, usually in small, widely spaced choruses. Eggs laid underground. Bushveld and woodland northeast of Vaal River.

Similar

CAPE MOUNTAIN RAIN FROG B. montanus

Stony hillsides in southwestern Cape.

SAND RAIN FROG B. rosei

Sandveld and dunes in southwestern Cape.

Breviceps macrops

5   DESERT RAIN FROG

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Rotund inflatable body. Blunt snout. Large eyes, horizontal pupils. Smooth cream and tan skin. Belly smooth, translucent. Spatula-like hind feet. Call: protracted clear whistle. Northwestern Namaqua-land coastal dunes.

Similar

NAMAQUA RAIN FROG B. namaquensis

Rock outcrops in Namaqualand.

Heleophryne natalensis

1   NATAL GHOST FROG

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Purplish-brown, usually with yellowish patches. Large eyes with vertical pupils. Underside slightly granular, whitish, flesh-coloured on limbs. Hind feet extensively webbed. Toes expanded, squareended. Secretive. Call: gentle, clear note, about twice per second. Eggs laid in quiet eddies of mountain torrents. Eastern escarpment forests.

Similar

HEWITT’S GHOST FROG H. hewitti

Elandsberg mountains, southern Cape.

CAPE GHOST FROG H. purcelli

Hottentots Holland to Du Toits mountains, southwestern Cape.

SOUTHERN GHOST FROG H. regis

Eastern Langeberg mountains, southern Cape.

TABLE MOUNTAIN GHOST FROG H. rosei

Gorges on Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula.

Kassina senegalensis

2    BUBBLING KASSINA

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Smooth-skinned. Rounded snout. Vertical pupil. Bold chocolate stripes on yellowish background. Belly white, granular on lower abdomen. Male has large pouch under jaw. Call: loud, liquid “quoip” uttered at intervals. Widespread except Northern and Western Cape and Kalahari.

Similar

RATTLING FROG Semnodactylus wealii

Brown stripes divided longitudinally.

Kassina maculata

3   RED-LEGGED KASSINA

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Smooth skin. Rounded snout. Vertical pupil. Large brown spots with pale outline. Belly granular, white. Male has yellow pouch under jaw. Call: loud, incessant quacking once per second in large choruses in deep permanent pans. Eastern tropical and semitropical lowveld plains.

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

4   BANDED RUBBER FROG

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Smooth skin. Rounded snout. Small eyes, round pupils. Bold orange or red bands on black background. Belly grey with white spots. Male has smaller spots on throat. Call: loud, melodious trill sustained for up to two seconds. Males call on banks of pans. Bushveld and subtropical lowveld.

Similar

MARBLED RUBBER FROG P. annectens

Red patches, not bands. Northern Cape and Namibia.

Leptopelis mossambicus

5   BROWN-BACKED TREE FROG

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Squat body. Square snout. Large eyes, vertical pupils. Dark brown horseshoe on tan back. Belly granular, beige. Fingers and toes have adhesive discs. Call: sharp, two syllables “yack-yack” from trees near water. Eastern tropical and semitropical lowveld plains.

Similar

NATAL TREE FROG L. natalensis

Plain or mottled green.

LONG-TOED TREE FROG L. xenodactylus

Inconspicuous toe discs. Southern Drakensberg foothills only.

Hyperolius marmoratus

1, 2 & 3 PAINTED REED FROG

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Yellow, black and orange striped (1) North of Swaziland; plain tan specimens (2) throughout range; spotted (3) in Eastern Cape; variable colour patterns in between. Horizontal pupils. Belly whitish, dark pink on limbs. Toes have adhesive discs. Call: short, loud, piercing whistle. Reedbeds at water’s edge. East below escarpment as far south as Port Elizabeth.

Similar

ARUM LILY FROG H. horstocki

Cream or tan. Southern coastal plain from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.

TINKER REED FROG H. tuberilinguis

Plain green, yellow or brown. Northeast semitropical coastal plain.

Hyperolius semidiscus

4   YELLOW-STRIPED REED FROG

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Green or brown. Yellow side stripes with thin black outline. Horizontal pupils. Belly cream or yellow. Toes have adhesive discs. Call: harsh creak uttered from reeds along rivers, pans. Eastern grassland and temperate coastal plains from Swaziland to Eastern Cape.

Similar

ARGUS REED FROG H. argus

Thick black border to stripes. Stripes often broken or absent.

PICKERSGILL’S REED FROG (MALE) H. pickersgilli

Smaller (25 mm or less). Blunt snout. Only male has stripes.

SHARP-NOSED REED FROG (MALE) H. acuticeps

Smaller (25 mm or less). Long, pointed snout. Only the male has stripes.

Hyperolius pusilus

5    WATERLILY FROG

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Translucent green, occasionally with very faint dark spots or stripes. Rounded snout. Horizontal pupils. Belly transparent. Call: blurred “tick” as when clicking the tongue on roof of mouth. Eastern semitropical lowveld and coastal plain.

Similar

PICKERSGILL’S REED FROG (FEMALE) H. pickersgilli

Plain opaque green or brown.

SHARP-NOSED REED FROG (FEMALE) H. acuticeps

Long, pointed snout.

Afrixalus aureus

6   GOLDEN LEAF-FOLDING FROG

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Elongated body. Golden yellow with occasional brown markings. Brown flanks with white spots. Vertical pupils. Belly yellow or white, slightly granular. Call: short, repeated buzz. Calls from emergent vegetation in pans. Eggs laid along leaves folded into tubes. Eastern semitropical lowveld and coastal plain.

Similar

DELICATE LEAF-FOLDING FROG A. delicatus

Almost indistinguishable. Call: a short “zip” and sustained trill.

NATAL LEAF-FOLDING FROG A. spinifrons

Dark mid-dorsal band. Black asperities concentrated on snout.

KNYSNA LEAF-FOLDING FROG A. knysnae

Asperities cover body in male. Eastern Cape seaboard only.

GREATER LEAF-FOLDING FROG A. fornasinii

Larger (40 mm). Broad mid-dorsal band.

Anhydrophryne rattrayi

1   HOGSBACK FROG

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Colour varies from black to brown and copper. With or without dorsal stripes. Horizontal pupils. Dark facial mask. Male has calloused snout for digging. Underside smooth, mottled white and grey. Feet without webbing. Call: clear melodious cheeps repeated, about four per second. Calls from wet banks adjacent to forest streams. Eggs laid in underground nests. Confined to forests in the Amatola Mountains, Eastern Cape.

Similar

NATAL MOSS FROG Arthroleptella hewitti

Wet banks in riverine forest. Drakensberg and KZN midlands.

CAPE MOSS FROG Arthroleptella lightfooti

Mossy banks of streams and seepage. Southwestern Cape only.

MIST-BELT MOSS FROG Arthroleptella ngongoniensis

Rank vegetation in grassland. KwaZulu-Natal midlands.

MICRO FROG Microbatrachella capensis

Smaller (15 mm). Pans in coastal fynbos near Kleinmond and Hermanus.

Cacosternum capense

2   CAPE CACO

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Orange patches on tan background. Large bean-like glands on rump and flanks. Horizontal pupils. Underside smooth, white with large irregularly shaped dark areas. Feet without webbing. Call: harsh creak repeated, about two per second. Vleis and depressions in southwestern Cape coastal fynbos.

Cacosternum boettgeri

3    BOETTGER’S CACO

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Colour varies from dark brown to green or red. With or without stripes. Horizontal pupils. Dark facial mask. Underside smooth, white with grey spots with indistinct edges. Feet without webbing. Call: brisk bursts of explosive ticks. Inhabits any marshy area or inundated grassland.

Similar

BRONZE CACO C. nanum

Underside has clear dark spots. Call: short chirp.

NAMAQUA CACO C. namaquensis

Underside has large dark areas. Northwest Namaqualand only.

Natalobatrachus bonebergi

4   KLOOF FROG

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Brown or grey with pale vertebral stripe. Pointed snout with pale triangular patch. Horizontal pupils. Fingers T-shaped at tips. Belly white with dark flecks. Call: soft clicks at intervals. Eggs laid over water in kloofs on KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

Phrynobatrachus natalensis

5   SNORING PUDDLE FROG

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Squat-bodied. Colour, skin texture variable. With or without dorsal stripes. Horizontal pupils. Belly plain whitish. Male has skin folds along jawline. Feet webbed. Call: continuous snoring, two or three per second, often in choruses. Pools or marshland throughout eastern half of region.

Similar

EAST AFRICAN PUDDLE FROG P. acridoides

Chevron-shaped gland on shoulders. Northern Maputaland only.

DWARF PUDDLE FROG P. mababiensis

Smaller (15 mm). Call: insect-like buzzing.

MONTANE MARSH FROG Poyntonia paludicola

Raised glandular patch behind each eye. Southwestern Cape mountains.

Hildebrandtia ornata

1 ORNATE FROG

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Variable, bold symmetrical patterns in green, orange, brown, white. Horizontal pupils. Throat black with pair of broad white Y-shaped stripes. Call: long nasal quacks about one every two seconds. Breeds in shallow pans in Kruger National Park area, Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique.

Ptychadena anchietae

2   PLAIN GRASS FROG

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Six or more longitudinal ridges down back. Plain russet or brown, occasionally with dark flecks. Sharp snout with distinct pale triangle. Belly smooth, white. Large, muscular legs. Patches on posterior of thigh form elongated pattern. Call: high-pitched trills, about three per second. Calls from open banks of rivers, dams. Subtropical lowveld and bushveld.

Similar

SHARP-NOSED GRASS FROG P. oxyrhynchus

Dark spots on back. Posterior of thigh irregularly mottled.

Ptychadena mossambica

3   BROAD-BANDED GRASS FROG

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Six or more longitudinal ridges down back. Broad, light vertebral stripe down back. Snout lacks any distinct pale triangle. Belly smooth, white. Large, muscular legs. Call: nasal, duck-like quacking repeated, about two per second. Calls from concealed positions on banks of vleis, pans. Subtropical lowveld and bushveld.

Similar

MASCARENE GRASS FROG P. mascareniensis

Length from heel to toe greater than length of lower leg.

DWARF GRASS FROG P. pumilio

Smaller (under 35 mm). Longitudinal stripes on posterior of thigh.

Ptychadena porosissima

4    STRIPED GRASS FROG

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Six or more longitudinal ridges down back. Three light stripes on back. Snout lacks any distinct pale triangle. Belly smooth, white. Large, muscular legs. Indistinct white spots on posterior of thigh. Call: short low-pitched rasping sounds, about two per second. Marshy areas, pans along temperate and subtropical eastern escarpment and coast.

Amietia angolensis

5   COMMON RIVER FROG

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Green or brown with dark spots. Often a light stripe down back. Sharp snout. Belly smooth, white, sometimes with dark mottling. Large, muscular legs. Call: sharp rattle followed by short croak. Common near most perennial waters except in arid western areas and southwestern Cape.

Similar

DRAKENSBERG RIVER FROG A. dracomontana

Only at summit of Drakensberg where (5) is absent.

CAPE RIVER FROG A. fuscigula

Blunt snout. Southwestern Cape as well as central highveld.

Amietia vertebralis

6    AQUATIC RIVER FROG

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Dark mottled greenish-grey. Broad, flat head. Rounded snout. Belly with dark vermiculation. Feet extensively webbed. Call: hollow knocking followed by low-pitched groan. Generally remains immersed. Can survive under sheets of surface ice. Restricted to high-altitude Drakensberg streams.

Strongylopus bonaspei

1   BANDED STREAM FROG

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Brown and orange stripes on back, sometimes broken or fused. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Male has yellow throat. Dark bars across legs. Toes extremely long. Call: short, harsh squawks followed by rapid cackle. Breeds in marshy areas and seepage in southwestern Cape.

Strongylopus fasciatus

2   STRIPED STREAM FROG

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Parallel yellow, tan and brown stripes on back. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Male has yellow throat. Longitudinal dark stripes along legs. Toes extremely long. Call: sharp piercing “pip” uttered singly or in quick series of three or four. In long grass alongside water. Southern and eastern coastal regions, eastern escarpment and high rainfall areas of highveld.

Strongylopus grayii

3   CLICKING STREAM FROG

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Colours and patterns vary considerably. Dark spots usually present. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Dark bars across legs. Toes not as long as in previous species. Call: monotonous wooden tapping or clicking. Alongside any water body in southwestern and eastern coastal regions and temperate high-rainfall areas at both high and low altitudes.

Similar

NAMAQUA STREAM FROG S. springbokensis

Confined to Namaqualand where (3) does not occur.

Strongylopus wageri

4   PLAIN STREAM FROG

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Plain cream to russet, occasionally with light stippling. Horizontal pupils. Snout slightly paler than back. Belly white. Sometimes has bars across legs. Toes very long. Call: raucous cackle repeated at regular intervals. Wooded streams in Drakensberg and eastern escarpment.

Strongylopus hymenopus

5   BERG STREAM FROG

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Rough, warty skin. Mottled grey or brown. Horizontal pupils. Head flat and broad. Rounded snout. No facial mask. Belly white, dark spots on throat. Bars across legs. Call: rapid chattering interspersed with long pauses. Streams and seepage in high Drakensberg grassland.

Xenopus laevis

6   COMMON PLATANNA

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Slimy skin. Streamlined oval body. Mottled grey. Round pupils. Belly greyish-white, occasionally spotted. Forelimbs diminutive with feeble, tapering fingers. Hind limbs massive with extensively webbed feet and clawed toes. Call: soft underwater buzzing. Migrates to new breeding grounds in rainy weather. Remains almost permanently submerged in any water body throughout southern Africa.

Similar

CAPE PLATANNA X. gilli

Elongated dark markings on back. Western Cape only.

MEULLER’S PLATANNA X. muelleri

Short tentacle (2 mm) below each eye. Tropical and subtropical lowveld.

Pyxicephalus adspersus

1 & 2 GIANT BULLFROG

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Massive, flaccid body. Olive-green with numerous skin ridges. Orange or yellow in armpits and groin. Head broad, heavy. No facial markings. Belly yellow. Large digging tubercle on heel. Juvenile (2) bright green with black stippling; usually has vertebral stripe. Call: deep bellow lasting about one second. If molested gives loud open-mouthed bray. Breeds in temporary pans in central highveld.

Similar

EDIBLE BULLFROG P. edulis

Dark spots on green-brown back extending to face. Wide subtropical distribution.

Tomopterna natalensis

3   NATAL SAND FROG

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Stocky body. Mottled grey or russet. Slightly pointed snout. Two glandular ridges from eye and mouth converge above shoulder. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Male has black throat. Call: penetrating yelps preceded by build-up of accelerating croaks. Breeds in streams and vleis in grassland in temperate, high rainfall areas of highveld and eastern escarpment.

Tomopterna cryptotis

4   TREMOLO SAND FROG

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Stocky body. Mottled brown, grey and reddish, often with one or more pale stripes down back. Pale patch between shoulders. Blunt snout. Whitish glandular ridge from mouth to shoulder. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Male has black throat. Call: rapid series of short, clear pips, about 12 per second. Breeds in pans and vleis throughout southern Africa except in arid western areas and southwestern Cape.

Similar

KNOCKING SAND FROG T. krugerensis

Indistinguishable. Call: percussive wooden knocking, four or five times per second.

CAPE SAND FROG T. delalandii

Southwestern Cape. Meets but does not overlap range of (4) near Grahamstown.

Tomopterna marmoratus

5   RUSSET-BACKED SAND FROG

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Stocky body. Marbled russet without conspicuous dark markings. Pale patch between shoulders. Blunt snout. Whitish glandular ridge from mouth to shoulder. Horizontal pupils. Belly white. Male has black throat. Call: piping note repeated at variable rate. Calls from sand banks along rivers in Kruger National Park area, Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique.

Chiromantis xerampelina

6   FOAM NEST FROG

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Grey or tan with variable number of dark spots. May turn almost white during daylight. Horizontal pupils. Belly white, dark stippling on throat. Long limbs without much strength. Fingers, toes have large adhesive terminal discs. Call: soft discordant chirping. Eggs laid in foam nests on branches overhanging water. Bushveld from eastern subtropical lowveld and Limpopo basin northwards.