Delalande's sand frog (''Tomopterna delalandii''), also known as Delalande's frog, Cape sand frog, or striped pixie, is a species of frog in the family
Pyxicephalidae
The Pyxicephalidae are a family of frogs currently found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the Eocene, the taxon '' Thaumastosaurus'' lived in Europe.
Classification
The Pyxicephalidae contain two subfamilies, with a total of 12 genera. This ...
. It is endemic to western and southern South Africa and occurs in the low-lying areas of Namaqualand, Western Cape, and
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
as far east as
Cape St. Francis
Cape St. Francis ( af, Kaap St Francis) is a village in South Africa, situated on a headland in the Eastern Cape Province. It is popular for its clean beaches and as a surfing location.
The village is home to the Seal Point Lighthouse.
The Irm ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
''delalandii'' honours
Pierre Antoine Delalande
Pierre Antoine Delalande (27 March 1787 – 27 June 1823) was a French naturalist, taxidermist, explorer and painter.
Description
''Tomopterna delalandii'' is a robust-bodied species with toad-like appearance and gait. Females can reach in snout–vent length. The head is broad and the eyes are large and bulging. The legs are relatively short. There are no finger or toe discs but the toes have some webbing. The upper parts vary in colouration from light grey to dark brown, usually with a mottled appearance and a pale patch between the shoulders. There is also usually a pale vertebral stripe, and often a pale stripe on either side of the body. Males have a dark throat.
The male advertisement call is a series of short ringing notes, with about 6–8 notes per second.
Habitat and conservation
The species occurs in
fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...
heath land and succulent karroo shrubland, and it can also live in agricultural land. Breeding takes place in both temporary and semi-permanent bodies of water found in pans, pools, vleis and dams, in flat, sandy areas. It is a very abundant species that occurs in several protected areas. It can be locally threatened by habitat loss caused by the spread of alien vegetation and agricultural and urban expansion.