Silver-banded Banana Frog

Afrixalus fornasini, commonly known as Fornasini's spiny reed frog or the greater leaf-folding frog, is a captivating amphibian native to Africa. This species is part of the Hyperoliidae family and is named after Carlo Antonio Fornasini, an Italian amateur naturalist who first gathered its type specimen.

This frog can be found in several African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and potentially Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). It thrives in a variety of habitats such as temperate and dry forests, savannas, shrublands, grasslands, wetlands, marshes, and ponds.

Although Afrixalus fornasini faces habitat loss in some locations, it is generally not considered rare and is quite common in certain regions.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this species is its camouflage. Zoologist Hugh Cott studied its "coincident disruptive coloration" noting how the frog's bold stripes align perfectly when its legs are folded. This alignment disrupts its outline, making it more difficult for predators to detect it. This clever adaptation is a textbook example of natural selection, as noted by zoologists I. C. Cuthill and A. Székely.