Painted Reed Frog Project

What's the problem?

Hyperolius marmoratus is a sub-tropical frog species that occurs in the eastern part of southern Africa. Historically it occurred in the lowveld of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, coastal KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and southwards to the George/Mossel Bay area). It was absent from the winter rainfall region of the Cape. However, during the South African Frog Atlas Project (SAFAP) from 1997 to 2003, frogs were noticed in the western part of the Western Cape. Today, H. marmoratus belonging to all three of the South African sub-species are present in the Western Cape (Tolley et al. 2008).

Why is this a problem?

It may not be. But in order to be sure we need to understand the mechanisms and rate of spread of the species, its interactions with other species, and its possible effects on the ecosystems in which it occurs (often at very high density).

How can you help?

If you see or hear Painted Reed Frogs, please note down the date, time and place you found them and photograph the frog and/or record its call if possible. The locality can be a street address, farm name or GPS reference, but should also include the district or area for cross checking. Please send the information to me at the address below:

• Sarah Davies
• Centre for Invasion Biology
• Tel. 021 808 3922
• e-mail sdavies@sun.ac.za

Click here to listen to the calls of the Painted Reed Frog (1.4mb) and the endemic Arum Lily Frog (1.3mb).

Frequently asked questions:

What do Painted Reed Frogs look like?

Painted Reed Frogs are small (20 - 35 mm) and brightly coloured. Males call with a loud (103.5 dB @ 50 cm) whistle at night during the summer. They live and breed around permanent pans and ponds in sub-tropical areas but sometimes stray into houses and other buildings (or even vehicles). There are three different colour patterns from different parts of the country (see photos), but young frogs are plain brown for their first year.

Why are they moving to new areas of SA?

Increasing trade and transport by road may contribute to moving the frogs around, while an abundance of farms dams and more summer rainfall in the Western Cape may be making the province more suitable for Painted Reed Frogs to survive and thrive in.

Does the spread of the Painted Reed Frog have any influence on the endemic Arum Lily Frog (Hyperolius horstockii) or other frogs?

Arum Lily Frogs are larger than Painted Reed Frogs and have a more strident 'quacking' call, while the PRF has a clear whistle. We do not know yet how the two species interact. However it is possible that the newcomers might compete with Arum Lily Frogs for calling and breeding sites, invertebrate prey or air time in choruses of calling males.

Downloads:

Flyer (2.8mb) - Once upon a time in the West: The story of the Painted Reed Frog in the Western Cape