Description
A medium-sized montane Hyperolius (males 22–26 mm, females 25–36 mm) from central Africa with a pattern in brown and green.

Colour pattern very variable, but does not fall into a juvenile and a female phase. Dorsum brown to green, the green specimens often with diffuse darker rounded spots, the brown-backed specimens often with irregular black spots surrounded by bright green. A black canthal line always present. Some of the green-backed specimens have an irregular light lateral line. The brown-backed specimens have a very irregular black lateral line. Ventrum and feet yellow to reddish. Throat of males yellow. Pupil horizontal.

This is a most variable form from the central highlands. It bears a close resemblance to H. lateralis in voice and habitat preference, and some specimens may be impossible to identify. H. lateralis generally occurs at lower altitudes.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Burundi, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Rwanda, Uganda

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (134 records).

Abundant in swamps in forests of eastern R. D. Congo, Rwanda and western Uganda.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The call is a succession of screams with a frequency-intensity of 2500–3000 cps. Apart from being somewhat deeper the voice is very similar to that of H. lateralis.

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 castaneus <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/513> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 28, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 28 Dec 2024.

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