Reed Frog (genus Hyperolius)

AmphibianFrogAfrica

Overview

Reed frogs (genus Hyperolius) are small, slender, often dazzlingly coloured tree frogs found across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Named for their habit of clinging to reeds and grasses around water, they come in an extraordinary array of colours and patterns — stripes, spots, and blotches in greens, yellows, reds, and browns — that can vary widely even within a single species, and can change between day and night. Adhesive discs on their toes let them grip stems and leaves.

Tiny but loud, reed frogs are a defining sound of African wetlands: on warm, wet nights, choruses of calling males ring out from the reed beds.

Note: “reed frog” covers many species; details here describe the genus broadly. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Reed frogs live across sub-Saharan Africa in and around wetlands — marshes, ponds, swamps, slow streams, flooded grassland, and reedy pool margins — and many also occur in gardens and farmland near water. By day they often rest exposed on reeds and leaves, tolerating sun and drying remarkably well for small frogs, and they become active at night.

Diet

Reed frogs are insectivores, eating small invertebrates such as flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and other tiny arthropods that they catch among the vegetation. As efficient predators of insects — including mosquitoes — around water, they play a useful role in wetland ecosystems, while their own tadpoles graze and feed in the water.

Behavior

Reed frogs are mostly nocturnal climbers, using the sticky discs on their toes to move over smooth reeds and leaves. Many have a notable ability to cope with sun and dryness: their skin can lighten to reflect heat and reduce water loss, helping them bask in the open. Breeding is tied to the rains, when males gather and call in loud choruses to attract females, and eggs are laid in or near the water, hatching into aquatic tadpoles. Their bright, variable colours can serve as camouflage, signalling, or — in some — a warning of distastefulness. Many species can change colour between a pale daytime state and a darker night-time one.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Reed frogs are harmless, appealing little frogs, valued as natural insect controllers and as indicators of healthy wetlands; some are kept in the amphibian hobby. Like amphibians everywhere they are sensitive to wetland loss, pollution, and disease, and while many reed frogs are common and widespread, some restricted-range species are of conservation concern. Consult AmphibiaWeb and the IUCN Red List for species-specific status.

More photos of the reed frog