Natal dwarf puddle frog

Description

The Natal dwarf puddle frog is a small frog with a rounded snout and warty skin, growing to a snout-to-vent length of about 25 to 31 mm (1.0 to 1.2 in). The digits do not have enlarged tips and the fingers are unwebbed. It has a uniformly coloured greenish or brownish dorsal surface, slightly darker around the warts, and a whitish belly. The male has a prominent white-spotted, black vocal sac on the throat during the breeding season.

Behaviour

The Natal dwarf puddle frog feeds on a variety of invertebrates including beetles, termites, bugs, flies, cockroaches, grasshoppers, butterflies and spiders. Termites may be the most-frequently eaten food item.

This frog breeds in the rainy season. At this time, males call and both sexes aggregate at ponds, streams, marshes, puddles, water accumulated in wheel ruts, pools and other wet locations. The eggs float and a clutch of several hundred form a raft on the surface and hatch about four days later. The tadpoles take about four to five weeks to develop to metamorphosis.

Status

The Natal dwarf puddle frog is listed by the IUCN as being of "Least Concern" as it is an adaptable species with a very wide range and its numbers appear to be stable.