Description
An abundant bushland Hyperolius frog from West Africa and western Cameroun. Males medium-sized (24–31 mm), females large, (30–40 mm) with a long pointed snout. Phase F with a dense, uniform green dorsum. Ventrum yellow. No dark lateral pigmentation. Pupil horizontal.

Three subspecies were established by Schiøtz (1967), of which only two have been named:
1. Hyperolius c. concolor. – phase J. with an indistinct hourglass pattern or longitudinal stripes but without a distinct light canthal and dorsolateral stripe.
Distributed from eastern Sierra Leone to western Togo.

2. Hyperolius c. ibadanensis Schiøtz 1967. – Many of the males have a distinct light canthal and dorsolateral line.
Found in Nigeria and also, according to Amiet (1978), in the vicinity of Mamfe, Cameroun.

3. Hyperolius concolor ssp. – Apparently no males with distinct light canthal line.
Occurs in South-east Nigeria east of Cross River and adjacent Cameroun.

This species shows developmental changes in patterning, with two phases, J (juveniles and many mature males) and F (mature females and some mature males). All newly metamorphosed individuals are phase J, which is normally brownish to green with paired light dorsolateral lines, or an hourglass pattern. All females, and some males, develop into phase F before the first breeding season. Phase F is often colorful and variable, showing the diagnostic color characteristics for the species or subspecies. Either well-defined morphs may be present, or graded variation.

The tadpole, with the usual dentition, has a dark stripe laterally from the root of the tail one-fourth to one-third towards the tip of the tail.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Benin, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (33 records).

A typical bushland form, abundant and conspicuous on open localities in the forest belt and in gallery forests far up in the savanna. Found from eastern Sierra Leone to western Cameroun.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The call is a succession of brief, hard non-melodic clicks. Sonograms show that the voice is often a double click, but the two elements follow so fast that the audible impression is of a single, rather coarse click.

The eggs are unpigmented and the jelly milky.

Comments
Hyperolius concolor is probably closely related to H. balfouri, H. kivuensis and H. tuberilinguis and the four species are sometimes regarded as belonging to one superspecies (Schiøtz 1975).

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

References

Amiet, J.-L. (1978). ''A propos d'Hyperolius platyceps Boulenger, H. kuligae Mertens et H. adametzi Ahl (Amphibiens Anoures).'' Annales de la Faculté des Sciences du Cameroun, 25, 221-256.

Schiøtz, A. (1967). ''The treefrogs (Rhacophoridae) of West Africa.'' Spolia Zoologica Musei Hauniensis, 25, 1-346.

Schiøtz, A. (1975). The Treefrogs of Eastern Africa. Steenstrupia, Copenhagen.

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

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2021 Hyperolius concolor: Variable Reed Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/519> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 21, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 21 Dec 2024.

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