AmphibiaWeb - Phrynobatrachidae
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(Translations may not be accurate.)

Phrynobatrachidae

99 species in 1 genus

Commonly Called Puddle Frogs


Phrynobatrachus africanus
Photo by Daniel Portik
(Click for family gallery)

This is a speciose family currently consisting of a single genus, all found in a variety of habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, including savannah, grasslands to primary forests. Many of these species are small, fast-moving frogs, and some species also highly polymorphic in coloration and patterning, making field identifications challenging.

Written by AmphibiaWeb

Notable Family Characteristics

  • Found in a variety of habitats, from savannah to primary forests
  • Morphological characteristics include: 1) medial lingual tubercle; 2) firmisternal pectoral girdle; 3) non-bifurcate omosternum; 4) distinctive tarsal turbercle. Additonally, many but not all have T-shaped terminal digits without discs.
  • Most species are known to lay eggs in water, which hatch into tadpoles
  • Tadpoles have a single row of labial teeth
  • Reproductive modes vary widely
  • Some species are highly polymorphic in coloration and pattern
  • Distribution limited to sub-Saharan Africa
Phrynobatrachidae Richness map

Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedList

Relevant Reference

Vitt, L. J., and J. P. Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Fourth Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Zimkus, B. M., and D. C. Blackburn. 2008. Distinguishing features of the sub-Saharan frog genera Arthroleptis and Phrynobatrachus: a short guide for field and museum researchers. Breviora. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 513: 1–12.

Genus Phrynobatrachus (99 species)
Phrynobatrachus accraensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus acridoides no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus acutirostris no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus afiabirago no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus africanus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus albolabris no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus albomarginatus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus alleni no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ambanguluensis account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus amieti no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus annulatus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus anotis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus arcanus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus asper account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus auritus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus batesii no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus bequaerti no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus bibita no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus breviceps no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus brevipalmatus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus brongersmai no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus bullans no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus calcaratus account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus chukuchuku no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus congicus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus cornutus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus cricogaster no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus cryptotis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus dalcqi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus danko no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus dendrobates no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus discogularis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus dispar account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus elberti no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus francisci no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus fraterculus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus gastoni no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ghanensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus giorgii no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus graueri no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus guineensis no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus gutturosus account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus hieroglyphicus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus horsti no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus hylaios no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus inexpectatus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus intermedius no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus irangi no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus kakamikro no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus keniensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus kinangopensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus krefftii no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus latifrons account photos sound/video
Phrynobatrachus leveleve account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus liberiensis no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus mababiensis no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus maculiventris no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus manengoubensis no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus mayokoensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus mbabo no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus minutus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus nanus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus natalensis account photos sound/video
Phrynobatrachus njiomock no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ogoensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus pakenhami no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus pallidus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus parkeri no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus parvulus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus petropedetoides no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus pintoi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus plicatus no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus pygmaeus no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus rainerguentheri no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus rillingi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus rouxi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus rungwensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ruthbeateae account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus sandersoni no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus scapularis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus scheffleri no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus schioetzi no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus steindachneri no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus sternfeldi no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus stewartae no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus sulfureogularis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus taiensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus tanoeensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus tokba no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ukingensis no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus ungujae no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus versicolor no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus villiersi no account photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus vogti no account no photos no sound/video
Phrynobatrachus werneri no account photos no sound/video

Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: https://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed:

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