The Hyperoliidae, or sedge frogs and bush frogs, are a large family of small to medium-sized, brightly colored
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
s which contains more than 250
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
in 19
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
. Seventeen genera are native to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
genus ''
Tachycnemis
The Seychelle Islands treefrog or Seychelles treefrog (''Tachycnemis seychellensis'') is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, rivers, ...
'' occurs on the
Seychelles Islands
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...
, and the genus ''
Heterixalus
''Heterixalus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar. It is the sister taxon
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of anothe ...
'' (currently 10 species) is endemic to
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
.
Hyperoliids range from in body length. Many species have smooth, brightly patterned skin that almost looks enameled.
Most hyperoliids are arboreal, but some are terrestrial, including several ''
Kassina
''Kassina'' is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs or kassinas. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more trad ...
'' species that move by walking or running rather than hopping. Diets vary widely, with examples including ''
Paracassina
''Paracassina'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae, sometimes known as common striped frogs. They are endemic to central Ethiopia.
Species
It contains the following species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classifica ...
'', which specializes on snails,
[ ] and ''
Afrixalus fornasini
''Afrixalus fornasini'' is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae and is native to Africa. Its common name is Fornasini's spiny reed frog or the greater leaf-folding frogCarruthers, V. (2001). ''First Field Guide to Frogs of Southern Africa ...
'', the only terrestrial frog known to prey on
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
of other species of
anurans.
Breeding in this family begins at the start of the rainy season, where hyperoliids congregate at breeding sites. Most hyperoliids lay their eggs in water, although foam nesting, tree-hole breeding, and laying of eggs in vegetation above water are all known behaviors.
[ '']Afrixalus
''Afrixalus'', commonly known as the banana frogs, spiny reed frogs, cat's eye reed frogs, or leaf-folding frogs, is a genus of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. They occur in the Subsaharan Africa. They lay their eggs in vegetation above water, ...
'' builds leaf nests for its eggs, by folding and gluing the edges of the leaves. Tadpole
A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...
s are pond type larvae with large dorsal fins on their tails.
No fossil hyperoliids are known.
Classification
As of mid-2022, there are 17 genera with 224 species, more than half of them in the very species-rich ''Hyperolius'':Hyperoliinae
The Hyperoliidae, or sedge frogs and bush frogs, are a large family of small to medium-sized, brightly colored frogs which contains more than 250 species in 19 genera. Seventeen genera are native to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the monotypic ...
Laurent, 1943 (196 species)
** ''Afrixalus
''Afrixalus'', commonly known as the banana frogs, spiny reed frogs, cat's eye reed frogs, or leaf-folding frogs, is a genus of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. They occur in the Subsaharan Africa. They lay their eggs in vegetation above water, ...
'' - banana frogs (35 species)
** '' Congolius'' - Congo frogs (1 species)
** '' Cryptothylax'' - wax frogs (2 species)
** ''Heterixalus
''Heterixalus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar. It is the sister taxon
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of anothe ...
'' - Madagascan reed frogs (11 species)
** ''Hyperolius
''Hyperolius'' (commonly known as the African reed frogs or reed frogs) is a large genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae from Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa th ...
'' - African reed frogs (143 species)
** ''Kassinula
''Kassinula'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Kassinula wittei''. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and possibly Angola.
Its natural habitats are m ...
'' - clicking frogs (1 species)
** '' Morerella'' - blue-eyed frogs (1 species)
** ''Opisthothylax
''Opisthothylax'' is a monotypic frog genus in the family Hyperoliidae. The sole species is ''Opisthothylax immaculatus'', also known as the gray-eyed frog . It is found in southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, western Republic of ...
'' - grey-eyed frogs (1 species)
** ''Tachycnemis
The Seychelle Islands treefrog or Seychelles treefrog (''Tachycnemis seychellensis'') is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, rivers, ...
'' - Seychelles Islands frogs (1 species)
* Subfamily Kassininae Laurent, 1972 (23 sp.)
** '' Hylambates'' - African striped frogs (5 species; formerly ''Phlyctimantis
''Phlyctimantis'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae
The Hyperoliidae, or sedge frogs and bush frogs, are a large family of small to medium-sized, brightly colored frogs which contains more than 250 species in 19 genera. Seventeen ...
)
** ''Kassina
''Kassina'' is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs or kassinas. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more trad ...
'' - running frogs (15 species)
** ''Paracassina
''Paracassina'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae, sometimes known as common striped frogs. They are endemic to central Ethiopia.
Species
It contains the following species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classifica ...
'' - common striped frogs (2 species)
** '' Semnodactylus'' - Weal's frogs (1 species)
* Subfamily ''incertae sedis''
** ''Arlequinus
''Arlequinus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae endemic to the Western High Plateau and Mount Cameroon, Cameroon. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Arlequinus krebsi'', commonly known as the Mebebque frog.
I ...
'' - Mebebque frogs (1 species)
** '' Callixalus'' - African painted frogs (1 species)
** '' Chrysobatrachus'' - Itombwe golden frogs (1 species)
References
Further reading
External links
African Tree Frogs Herpetology (images)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q55476
Amphibian families
Taxa named by Raymond Laurent
Afrotropical realm fauna