Frogging at Aylestone Portion 8

My grandmother used to tell us that we will get warts if a frog urinates on our hands. That didn’t deter us from catching frogs, and we didn’t get warts at all.  Something that I remember as a child was hundreds of baby frogs hopping around after good rain.  If only I could experience that once again… Not only for the experience itself but to identify the species.

My childhood experience of frogs is basically restricted to Red Toads and Platanas.

The only time ever that I have seen a Giant bullfrog, was in an irrigation canal on my way home from the bus stop.  The cement canals have fall structures to help the water flow.   A canal fall or drop is an irrigation structure constructed across a canal to lower down its bed level to maintain the designed slope when there is a change of ground level to maintain the designed slope when there is change of ground level.

The bullfrog was caught in the whirlpool at the bottom of the fall structure and couldn’t escape. I can still recall the flashing images of yellow and green when the frog appeared and disappeared under the water. Me and the neighbours son ran home to fetch something to scoop the frog out. We thought it was dead, but it was alive. My mum was not impressed by the damage in the butterfly net she made for us, but understood our good intentions.  The frog buried into the soil and remained in her rose garden for more than a week  before it disappeared.

My mum was the one who lit the flame of curiosity in all her children… When we bought a portion of the farm Aylestone in Barberton, my curiosity exploded with the abundance of life. I love frogs and have accumulated hundreds of photos over the years.

Below is an account of all the frog species I have found so far on Aylestone 8. Only one or two photos are used here that is representative of the species.

Frogs are very variable  Please click on the family name to see more photos, information and links to my videos of their behavior.

FAMILY BUFONIDAE

Schismaderma carens, Red Toad (Rooiskurwepadda)

Sclerophrys gutturalis, Guttural Toad  (Gorrelskurwepadda)

FAMILY HYPEROLIIDAE

Hyperolius marmoratus taeniatus, Painted Reed Frog (Skilderbontrietpadda)

Hyperolius pusillus, Water Lily Frog (Waterleliepadda)

Hyperolius tuberilinguis, Tinker Reed Frog (Groenrietpadda)

Kassina senegalensis, Bubbling Kassina (Borrelvleipadda)

FAMILY MICROHYLIDAE

Phrynomantis affinis, Banded Rubber Frog (Gebande rubberpadda)

FAMILY PHRYNOBATRACHIDAE

Phrynobatrachus natalensis, Snoring Puddle Frog (Snorkmodderpadda)

FAMILY PTYCHADENIDAE

Ptychadena anchietae, Plain Grass Frog (Rooiruggraspadda)

FAMILY PIPIDAE

Xenopus laevis, Common platanna (Gewone platanna)

Xenopus muelleri, Muller’s Platanna (Geelpensplatanna)

FAMILY PYXICEPHALIDAE

Amieta delalandii, Common River Frog (Gewone rivierpadda)

Tomopterna natalensis, Natal Sand Frog (Natalse sandpadda)

FAMILY RHACOPHORIDAE

Chiromantis xerampelina, Southern Foam Nest Frog (Grootgrysskuimnespadda)

I have spent many evenings outside with my torch and cell phone to capture the information above.  Unfortunately, it is not safe anymore to go frogging on my own. Our neighbor farms with crocodiles, and they escape to our dam. There are daytime photos, but those are in the minority. Scientific information comes from the sources mentioned below. The book by Louis du Preez and Vincent Carruthers is a MUST if you are interested in frogs.

For more information:

1. Frogs Of Southern Africa, A Complete Guide, Louis du Preez & Vincent Carruthers. Struik Nature 2017

FAMILY PIPIDAE – Platannas

Xenopus laevis

Xenopus muelleri

Something interesting is that platannas make their calls while fully submerged. Both males and females call.

They don’t have tympanums*, tongues or movable eyelids. Instead of ear structures, they have lateral lines* like fish to detect movement and vibrations under water.

Platannas were bred in their thousands in laboratories between 1940-1960. Lancelot Hogden, a zoologist from Brittian that moved to South Africa, discovered that if the urine of a pregnant woman is injected into a platanna, it induces spawning within a day. This method was used to verify pregnancies until the sixties when more sophisticated chemical methods were introduced.

Xenopus laevis, Common platanna (Gewone platanna)

Underside whitish or mottled with grey

Subocular tentacles* shorter than half the diameter of the eye

Common platanna

The alternative name for Platanna is not African clawed frog for nothing!

Xenopus muelleri, Muller’s Platanna (Geelpensplatanna)

Subocular tentacles* at least half as long as diameter of the eye. Maximum size is 90 mm, much smaller than the Common platanna.

This is a typical position in which I find Platannas, hanging in the water

The subocular tentacle* is easier observed when the frog is fully submerged.

Recently dead platanna

Juvenile platanna that very recently absorbed its tail

TERMINOLOGY:

Lateral line: The lateral line is a collection of sense organs which are distributed over the skin or in sub-epidermal canals of the head and body of aquatic lower vertebrates.

Subocular tentacle: Flexible, sensory appendage found below or near the eyes of Platannas

Tympanum: The tympanic membrane is a thin membrane that separates the frog’s outer and inner ear. It is located behind the eyes. It allows it to hear both in the air and below the water.

Please contact me should you find a species that I have misidentified.

For more information:

1. Frogs Of Southern Africa, A Complete Guide, Louis du Preez & Vincent Carruthers. Struik Nature 2017