Description
A small (25 mm) Afrixalus frog from southern South Africa. Dorsum an overall golden with irregular longitudinal brown stripes and spots. Sides of head and body brown. Dorsum of breeding males covered with conspicuous dark asperities, females smooth. Ventrum cream-coloured or pale yellow. The vocal sac is yellow.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: South Africa

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

South-eastern Cape Coast where it occurs in shallow open water characteristically in association with Arum lilies.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Development. – The eggs are placed on submerged leaves which are then glued together.

Voice. – Groups of calling males congregate among reeds and on water-lily leaves some distance from the banks in water, which is about 30 cm deep. Voice a long trill or buzz, a soft, insect-like protracted “greeek” produced continuously for 15 to 20 seconds. It can only be heard a few feet away.

Comments
This account was taken from "Treefrogs of Africa" by Arne Schiøtz with kind permission from Edition Chimaira publishers, Frankfurt am Main.

References

Schiøtz, A. (1999). Treefrogs of Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2021 Afrixalus knysnae: Knysna Spiny Reed Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/453> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jan 12, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 12 Jan 2025.

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