Dr Jeanne Tarrant, Pri Sci Nat – 114573
Programme Manager: Threatened Amphibian Programme – Endangered Wildlife Trust
Suni-Ridge has been documenting its amphibian species for several years and provides important habitat, much of it restored from monoculture agriculture, to the benefit of frogs.
KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most biodiverse regions of South Africa, and the Zululand region, in particular, boasts the highest species richness of frogs in the province, with up to 58 different species of the province’s total of about 70 species. This is in itself roughly half of the total number of frog species in the country. This is due to the regions’ rich diversity of habitats, as well as suitable weather conditions, with relatively high rainfall and warm temperatures. Keeping annual records of which species are detected in an area provides important monitoring information, and can help explain changes in species assemblages over time in response to climatic conditions or habitat change.
One of the best ways to do this is through call identification as each species has its own unique call – learn more[ here ]So sit back and enjoy the sound of the frogs from the restaurant deck that serenade you on summer evenings.
FROGS IDENTIFIED By Sally Reese 2014 in and around Suni-Ridge.
- Red toad
- Common Platanna
- Forest Tree frog
- Guttural toad
- Tinker Reed frog
- Painted Reed frog
- Bubbling Kassina
- Red-legged Kassina
- Long Reed frog
- Snoring Puddle frog
- Foam Nest frog
- Mottled Shovel-nosed frog
- Eastern Olive toad
Identified by Dr. Jeanne Tarret April 2020 in and around Suni-Ridge
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Afrixalus aureus* | Golden Leaf-folding Frog (Golden Spiny Reed Frog) |
| Afrixalus delicatus* | Delicate Leaf-folding Frog (Delicate Spiny Reed Frog) |
| Afrixalus spinifrons spinifrons* | Natal Leaf-folding Frog (Natal Spiny Reed Frog) |
| Afrixalus fornasini* | Greater Leaf-folding Frog (Fornasini’s Spiny Reed Frog) |
| Amietia quecketti | Common River Frog |
| Sclerophrys garmani* | Eastern Olive Toad (Garman’s Toad) |
| Sclerophrys gutturalis | Guttural Toad |
| Sclerophrys pusilla | Flat-backed Toad |
| Sclerophrys rangeri | Raucous Toad (Kei Road Toad) |
| Anhydrophryne hewitti | Natal Chirping Frog |
| Arthroleptis stenodactylus* | Shovel-footed Squeaker (Savanna Squeaking Frog) |
| Arthroleptis wahlbergii | Bush Squeaker |
| Breviceps adspersus adspersus | Bushveld Rain Frog (Transvaal Short-headed Frog) |
| Breviceps mossambicus | Mozambique Rain Frog (Flat-face Frog) |
| Breviceps sopranus | Whistling Rain Frog |
| Breviceps carruthersi | Phinda Rain Frog |
| Cacosternum boettgeri | Boettger’s Caco (Boettger’s Dainty Frog) |
| Cacosternum nanogularum | KwaZulu Caco |
| Cacosternum nanum | Bronze Caco (Dwarf Dainty Frog) |
| Cacosternum striatum | Striped Caco (Striped Metal Frog) |
| Chiromantis xerampelina* | Southern Foam Nest Frog (Gray Tree Frog) |
| Hemisus guttatus | Spotted Shovel-nosed Frog (Spotted Burrowing Frog) |
| Hemisus marmoratus | Mottled Shoverl-nosed Frog (Marbled Snout-burrower) |
| Hildebrandtia ornata | Ornate Frog |
| Hyperolius poweri | Power’s Long Reed Frog (previously Sharp-nosed) |
| Hyperolius argus* | Argus Reed Frog (Yellow Spotted Reed Frog) |
| Hyperolius marmoratus* | Painted Reed Frog |
| Hyperolius pickersgilli | Pickersgill’s Reed Frog |
| Hyperolius pusillus* | Water Lily (Reed) Frog |
| Hyperolius semidiscus | Yellow-striped Reed Frog |
| Hyperolius tuberilinguis* | Tinker Reed Frog |
| Kassina maculata | Red-legged Kassina |
| Kassina senegalensis* | Bubbling Kassina (Senegal Running Frog) |
| Leptopelis mossambicus* | Brown-backed Tree Frog (Mozambique Tree Frog) |
| Leptopelis natalensis* | Natal Tree Frog |
| Natalobatrachus bonebergi | Kloof Frog (Natal Diving Frog) |
| Phrynobatrachus acridoides | East African Puddle Frog (Zanzibar Puddle Frog) |
| Phrynobatrachus mababiensis* | Dwarf Puddle Frog (Mababe River Frog) |
| Phrynobatrachus natalensis* | Snoring Puddle Frog (Natal Puddle Frog) |
| Phrynomantis bifasciatus* | Banded Rubber Frog (South African Snake-necked Frog) |
| Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti | Northern Pygmy Toad (Transvaal Dwarf Toad) |
| Ptychadena anchietae | Plain Grass Frog (Savanna Ridged Frog) |
| Ptychadena mascareniensis | Mascarene Grass Frog (Mascarene Ridged Frog) |
| Ptychadena mossambica | Broad-banded Grass Frog (Mozambique Ridged Frog) |
| Ptychadena oxyrhynchus* | Sharp-nosed Grass Frog (Sharp-nosed Ridged Frog) |
| Ptychadena porosissima* | Striped Grass Frog (Three-striped Grass Frog) |
| Ptychadena taenioscelis | Dwarf Grass Frog (Small Ridged Frog) |
| Pyxicephalus edulis | African Bullfrog (Edible Bullfrog) |
| Schismaderma carens* | Red Toad |
| Strongylopus fasciatus | Striped Stream Frog |
| Strongylopus grayii | Clicking Stream Frog (Gray’s Stream Frog) |
| Tomopterna cryptotis* | Tremolo Sand Frog (Cryptic Sand Frog) |
| Tomopterna krugerensis | Knocking Sand Frog |
| Tomopterna natalensis | Natal Sand Frog |
| Tomopterna tandyi | Tandy’s Sand Frog |
| Xenopus laevis* | Common Platanna (African Clawed Frog) |
| Xenopus muelleri | Muller’s Platanna (Muller’s Clawed Frog) |