Lake Kivu Reed Frog

Hyperolius kivuensis is a species of frog belonging to the family Hyperoliidae. These frogs are found across several African countries including Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, with potential occurrences in Mozambique and Sudan. They inhabit a variety of natural environments such as subtropical or tropical dry forests, moist savannas, lowland grasslands, freshwater marshes, and even plantations. Fortunately, according to the IUCN, Hyperolius kivuensis is not currently considered a threatened species.

Recent studies have revealed that Hyperolius kivuensis and another frog, Hyperolius multifasciatus, are not distinct at the subspecies level. Both were originally described by Ernst Ahl in 1931; Hyperolius multifasciatus appeared on page 278 and Hyperolius kivuensis on page 280 of the same publication. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), when two names from the same publication refer to the same species, the authority responsible for the revision decides which name to use, with that decision being final.

As a result of this taxonomic revision, the proper scientific names for these frogs are now Hyperolius kivuensis kivuensis and Hyperolius kivuensis multifasciatus.