| Striped stream frog | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Pyxicephalidae |
| Genus: | Strongylopus |
| Species: | S. fasciatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Strongylopus fasciatus | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Strongylopus fasciatus, also known as the striped stream frog, striped grass frog, striped rana, striped long-toed frog or long-toed grass frog is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to southern Africa. [2]
Strongylopus fasciatus is a small, long legged frog with a pointed snout. Its distinguishing features are the parallel yellow and brown longitudinal stripes along its back, with longitudinal dark stripes along its legs. It has a white belly and the males have yellow throats. The pupils are horizontal. It also has very long toes and, when crouched, the fourth toe on the rear feet extends past the front feet. [3]
The call of Strongylopus fasciatus is a sharp "pip" which can be made singly or in a series of three or four calls. [3]
Strongylopus fasciatus occurs the Western Cape Province east through eastern South Africa to borders of Lesotho and Swaziland, then north into Zimbabwe, western Mozambique and south-western Zambia, its presence in Botswana has yet to be confirmed. In the Highveld of central South Africa it appears to be localised but extends as far west as the eastern Free State. [1]
Strongylopus fasciatuscan be found in a variety of habitats from grassland to forest in areas with an annual rainfall of more than 500mm and is rarely found far from permanent water. In the montane grasslands of South Africa the preferred breeding habitat is grassy streamsides, reed beds along the margins of rivers and vleis. It is tolerant of human disturbance and can be found in irrigation canals, reservoirs, parks and gardens. [4]
Strongylopus fasciatus breeds mainly in the southern winter, and breeding seems to be triggered by the dropping in temperature. The males' first calls are usually recorded in mid- to late February, although they have been heard as early as January. The peak calling period appears to be in March, April and May, and calling stops by November. In summer, sporadic calling may be set off by a cold front moving in from the south. Males call from the water's edge or from elevated positions in reeds and grass. Where they are less common the males may be scattered and call individually but where they are abundant they may form choruses and the males be separated by only a few centimetres. [4]
The female lays the eggs singly in shallow water on the margins of grassy waterbodies. The eggs are soon camouflaged as debris sticks to them, making them difficult to see. Clutch size has not been recorded but comparisons with related species suggest that Strongylopus fasciatus does not lay large clutches. The tadpoles metamorphose into froglets after 4–5 months. [4]
Strongylopus fasciatus is a widespread and common species and is not threatened. [5] However, specimens of this species caught in Kenton on Sea in 2004 tested positive for the fungus that causes chytridiomycosis. [5]
The spotted grass frog or spotted marsh frog is a terrestrial frog native to Australia. It is distributed throughout all of New South Wales and Victoria, eastern South Australia, the majority of Queensland, and eastern Tasmania. It is also naturalised in Western Australia, having been unintentionally introduced at Kununurra in the 1970s, apparently during the relocation of several hundred transportable homes from Adelaide.
Strongylopus is a genus of pyxicephalid frogs native to Africa. They are found in the area from southwestern South Africa and Namibia to southern Tanzania. Their common name is stream frogs.
The western chorus frog, also known as striped chorus frog, or midland chorus frog is a species of frog found in Canada and the United States.
The golden banana frog, golden dwarf reed frog, golden spiny reed frog, or golden leaf-folding frog is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in lowland coastal plains of eastern South Africa, Swaziland, and southern Mozambique. The AmphibiaWeb includes Afrixalus crotalus in this species as a subspecies, whereas the Amphibian Species of the World and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species treat A. crotalus as a full species.
Hyperolius igbettensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in West Africa from Guinea eastward to Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin, Nigeria, and into Central Africa at least to Cameroon but likely further east to the Central African Republic and southwestern Chad; the eastern border of distribution of this species relative to other members in the Hyperolius nasutus complex is unclear. Common name Igbetti long reed frog has been coined for it. The type locality is near Igbetti, a village in Oyo State, Nigeria.
Hyperolius sheldricki is a species of small frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to southeast Kenya. The type locality is in the Tsavo East National Park.
Gastrotheca excubitor is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to southern Peru and occurs in the Amazonian slopes and crests of the Cordillera Oriental in the Cusco Region; records from the Cajamarca Region are likely erroneous. It is likely to include cryptic species. Common name Abra Acanacu marsupial frog has been coined for it.
Anhydrophryne ngongoniensis, the Ngongoni moss frog, Natal bandit frog, or mistbelt chirping frog, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Phrynobatrachus acridoides is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in the lowlands of eastern Africa, from Kenya and southern Somalia in the north and southward to Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, and easternmost South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). Its range might extend into Swaziland in the south and westward to Uganda and Zambia. This widespread species has also many vernacular names: East African puddle frog, small puddle frog, eastern puddle frog, Zanzibar puddle frog, Zanzibar river frog, Mababe toad-frog, and Cope's toad-frog. It is morphologically and genetically most similar to Phrynobatrachus pakenhami, its sister species. However, the specific name acridoides appears to refer to its superficial similarity to the North American cricket frog Acris gryllus, of no close relation.
Amietia delalandii, also known as the Delalande's river frog, the Drakensberg frog, Drakensberg river frog, or Sani Pass frog, is a species of southern African river frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and possibly Zambia. It is the sister species to A. vertebralis.
The Cape river frog is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae named for the Cape of Good Hope. Formerly, it was placed in the family Ranidae. It occurs widely in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. A newly described species, A. poyntoni, was split from this species in 2013.
Ptychadena guibei is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found in northeastern and eastern Angola, the Caprivi Strip of northeastern Namibia, northern Botswana, northwestern and eastern Zimbabwe, Zambia, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and northern Mozambique. The specific name guibei honours Jean Guibé, a French zoologist and herpetologist. Common names Guibe's yellow-bellied grass frog, Guibe's grass frog, Guibe's grassland frog, and Guibe's ridge frog have been coined for it.
The Mozambique ridged frog is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. These frogs can swim fairly well, jump far and can crawl with ease through dense plants. Their strong hindlegs can launch them up to three metres into the air in a single bound.
Ptychadena uzungwensis is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found on the East African Plateau in Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania in the north and then southward to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and uplands of Mozambique. Its common names include Udzungwa ridged frog and Udzungwa grass frog, where "Udzungwa" may also be written Uzungwa, following the spelling that Arthur Loveridge used in the species description for the Udzungwa Mountains, the type locality.
The banded stream frog, also known as the banded sand frog, Cape grass frog, Cape stream frog, long-toed frog, mountain frog or Jonkersberg frog is a species of frogs in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Fuelleborn's stream frog or long-toed grass frog is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in the mountains of Malawi, Tanzania, and northeastern Zambia. Its natural habitats are montane grasslands at elevations of 1,500–3,000 m (4,900–9,800 ft) above sea level. Outside the breeding season, it can be found far from water. During the breeding season, males call from flooded grass. The egg clusters are laid just above streams, underneath dense vegetation. Tadpoles develop in the streams.
Gray's stream frog is a fairly small species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is a ground dweller, living mainly in vegetation such as sedges, generally brown, slenderly built and agile, with long, practically unwebbed toes.
Delalande's sand frog, also known as Delalande's frog, Cape sand frog, or striped pixie, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to western and southern South Africa and occurs in the low-lying areas of Namaqualand, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape as far east as Cape St. Francis.
