Images attached to GBIF records (field photographs), from . Open licences; click for the record.
Boneberg's Frog
Natalobatrachus bonebergi Hewitt & Methuen, 1912
Also calledIsele lasemhosheni (zul) · Isele lomwonyo (xho) · Kloofpadda (afr) · Natalfrosch (deu) · afroskokan natalský (ces) · ущельевая лягушка (rus) · ナタールガエル (jpn)
Natal diving frog (Natalobatrachus bonebergi), also known as the Natal diving frog, Boneberg's frog, or Kloof frog ), is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is the only species within the monotypic genus Natalobatrachus. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers and it is threatened by habitat loss.
This is a small- to medium-sized frog, females reaching 37 mm and males 25 mm in length.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
morphology
N. bonebergi is usually brown, but may be light to greenish brown. The snout is pointed, projecting markedly over the lower jaw. The fingers and toes are long with large, truncated, terminal discs, and the toes are slightly webbed. The back has elongated skin ridges, and a light vertebral stripe is often present. A distinct black stripe runs from the tip of the snout, through the lower part of the eye to the arm (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
African Amphibians
behaviour
These frogs are strong jumpers and can be difficult to catch. They take readily to water, swim well, and usually dive to the bottom where they hide in rotting plant material (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
African Amphibians
conservation
Harrison et al. (2001) suggest that in view of its restricted distribution (area of occupancy = 11–500 km2) and rate of habitat loss (>50% in the past 100 years), it has been accorded Endangered status (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
African Amphibians
distribution
N. bonebergi is endemic to the South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland region and restricted to the coastal forests of southern KwaZulu-Natal and northern Eastern Cape provinces, at altitudes below 900 m (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
African Amphibians
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Range & habitat
The frog's habitat is restricted to south eastern South Africa, where it ranges from the Dwesa Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and other reserves in south and central KwaZulu-Natal province, only found below 900 m above sea level. The habitat of the frog consists of ground-coastal bush and gallery bush: especially afforestation strips along rivers.
What it does
Mating occurs in streams and eggs are attached to branches hanging over the water, in egg clutches that looks like bales of foam. After hatching, the tadpoles fall down into the water where they develop further into small frogs.
Where it has been recorded
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Natalobatrachus bonebergi in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 2429891.