Hogsback Frog

morphology

This is one of southern Africa’s smallest frog species with females attaining a body length of 22 mm (Wager, 1963, 1986; Passmore and Carruthers, 1995; Channing, 2001). The snouts of males are calloused, slightly flattened, usually whitish and presumed to be adapted for excavating nests. Body colour and pattern are variable: the dorsum varies from light grey to dark brown or copper-coloured. Irregular dark mottling and a thin, light vertebral line are sometimes present. A dark mask extends across the eyes from nostrils to armpits. The white ventrum is marbled with dark blotches that do not extend onto the throat (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).

African Amphibians

conservation

A. rattrayi is here classified as Endangered owing to its limited and severely fragmented distribution (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).

African Amphibians

associations

The diet of A. rattrayi includes small leaf-litter crustaceans such as amphipods and isopods (Wager 1986). Springtails (Collembola) appear to form a large proportion of the diet (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).

African Amphibians

distribution

Anhydrophryne rattrayi is endemic to the Eastern Cape Province where it has a restricted distribution centered in the Amatola Mountains (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).

African Amphibians