Hemisotidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
9 species in 1 genus
Shovel-nosed Frogs The family Hemisotidae is made up of shovel-nosed, globose-bodied frogs within a single genus, Hemisus. Their hard pointed snouts, strong forelimbs and hindlimbs, and loss of a sternum (convergent in Rhinophrynus) allow these frogs to be quick and efficient headfirst burrowers in tropical savanna of sub-Saharan Africa. They lay eggs underground in the plains near the end of the dry season. Nests are flooded and tadpoles then swim to temporary pools of water to finish their development. Tadpoles also wriggle onto the parent’s backs to be transported to water.
Hemisus marmoratus
Photo by Robert C. Drewes
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Genus Hemisus (9 species)
Hemisus barotseensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus brachydactylus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus guineensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus guttatus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Hemisus marmoratus AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Hemisus microscaphus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus olivaceus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus perreti no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Hemisus wittei no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2012. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2012).
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