Description
A large Hyperolius (males 25-33 mm, females up to 40 mm) from the savanna in southern R. D. Congo and north-western Zambia with a broad, flat head. Large gular flap. Males without asperities. Dorsum brown, either with an hour-glass pattern extending from the interocular to the scapular region with a separate or attached sacral band and a light triangular patch on the snout, or a light canthal and dorsolateral band, sometimes with a light triangular patch on the snout. Pupil horizontal.

This form has previously been described as a subspecies of Hyperolius platyceps. The relationships between the forms formerly regarded as subspecies of H. platyceps are so uncertain that they are best treated as full species.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Zambia

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

H. major is known from medium to low altitudes in south-eastern R. D. Congo, north-western Zambia and probably adjacent Angola.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The call is a rather coarse rattle with a frequency-intensity maximum at about 2000 cps.

There is no biological information for this species but it is recorded from the savanna belt, unlike H. platyceps which is a forest species.

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 2008 Hyperolius major <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/5706> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 27, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 27 Nov 2024.

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