Description
A medium-sized bushland Hyperolius (males 25–27 mm, females 30–32 mm) from the western central forests. Dorsum either with hourglass pattern or with light dorsolateral stripes. Pupil horizontal.

It occurs in two morphs, the first of which is silvery-white on dorsum with two large dark blotches forming an hour-glass shape on the anterior back and a transverse bar in the lumbar region. The second morph has vivid cream or silvery-white dorsolateral stripes on a dark background. In the populations from R. Congo some males and many of the females are green with light dorsolateral stripes.

Much confusion has surrounded this species, partly because of its variation, partly because several quite different species have been treated as subspecies of H. platyceps. Amiet (1978) has clarified the matter and I follow him in regarding the forms in the ”platyceps-complex” as full species (platyceps, langi, major). Amiet has also clarified the relationships between H. platyceps, H. kuligae and H. adametzi, three Hyperolius which in Cameroun can easily be confused, and with the similar, West African H. sylvaticus.

Amiet notes that in voice and habitat preference this species is similar to H. concolor, and that the two species seem to vicariate for each other with a non-overlapping distribution in western Cameroun.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Zambia

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (35 records).

A bushland form distributed in southern Cameroun south of Sanaga River to R. D. Congo and possibly further south and east. I have collected a sample at Salonga N. P., R. D. Congo.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Two types of calls are made: sharp clicks uttered singly or in twos, and a short rattle. According to Amiet the usual call is a click with a nasal quality, while the rattle is a territorial call, uttered less frequently.

According to Largen and Dowsett Lemaire, it breeds in flooded swamp-forest.

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 platyceps <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/566> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Apr 16, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 16 Apr 2024.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.