Description
A small, long, very slender, green, savanna-living Hyperolius (19-24 mm) from southern Africa, very similar to H. nasutus. Males the same size as females. Pupil horizontal. The species differs slightly from H. nasutus, but preserved specimens cannot always be distinguished. The main difference is the voice which is a short rattle in H. benguellensis as different from a brief, high-pitched scream in H. nasutus. Some benguellensis has light paravertebral lines, unknown in nasutus. H. benguellensis is normally darker and less webbed than H. nasutus from the same areas, and has, seen from above, a more square snout since the nares are more protruding.

The two species have been taken from localities very close to each other, but not on the same breeding localities.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Angola, Botswana, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

The distribution is uncertain due to this species' great similarity to Hyperolius nasutus. H. benguellensis has been recorded from southern R.D.Congo, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, but the distribution should be taken with reservation due to confusion with H. nasutus. The present account is based on specimens collected in north-western Zambia (Schiøtz and Van Daele 2003)

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The call consists of a brief rattle, consisting of indistinct figures at 4000-4200 Hz.

References

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

Schiøtz, A. (2006). ''Reflections on the Hyperolius nasutus group.'' Alytes, 24(1-4), 61-71.

Schiøtz, A. and Von Daele, P. (2003). ''Notes on the treefrogs of the North-Western Province, Zambia.'' Alytes, 20(3-4), 137-149.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Hyperolius benguellensis <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/506> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 3, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 3 Dec 2024.

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