SANParks.org Forums

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Thanks for your input Guinae Pig,

He does have very powerful legs, he rotates between the
swimming pool and the Koi pond, he also swims like an athlete
and is very noisy in the summer months.

Is he albino?

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Siobain

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I,ve never noticed if it has ridges on its back, I,ll see if
I can find him again.

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Siobain

No, it is very unlikely that it is the Plain Grass frog. Again, wrong distribution area. The hind legs of the PG frog is shorter than the one on the photo, the nose is much more pointed, and it is a nice tawny colour. The "cover" you are referring to is common amongst frogs.

Colour with frogs can be very confusing, since there is much variation. Some species are indeed capable of altering the pigmentation in their skin, to become a whitish colour. This is mainly used to reflect sunlight and help with temperature regulation.

The Ranas, or rather Afranas, are know as the River frogs. There are a few species, and they do resemble this frogs build. Looking at distribution there are two possibilities, nl. the Common River frog and the Cape river frog. This one resembles the Cape river frog more than the Common, especially looking at the kind of "flat" snout. Again, the colour is totally different than the usual colouration, but as mentioned, this is not unknown.

I do not think this is an albino, since there is colour on its body.

Thanks Imberbe

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Siobain

I thought i would just add a second photo that i took this evening,
just to give a different angle.





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Siobain

I'd go with Cape River Frog, The broadness of the snout, the length of webbing on the longest toe, as well as the bulging of the eyes not extending past the line of the head like the common River frog, which also has shorter webbing and a narrower head...The pigment isnt albinism, but probably leucism(The lack of mellanin) Like we see in birds and some mammals....

I also believe Elsa's Bullfrog, to be African and not Giant.....Distribution(According to Frogs and Frogging), and distance of the tympanum from the eye are pointers.

Thanks RJ. The thing that confuses me though is the webbing seems to
be like the 'Common River Frog' although his eyes are within the outline
on the head like a 'Cape River Frog'. In my research it says 'more extensive webbing distinguishes the 'Cape River Frog' from the 'Common' or does
this not make any difference?

Pleasure Siobain, this frog seems to have more extensive webbing then a Common River Frog I think......which is another reason I went for the Cape River Frog Id

Thanks RJ really appreciate the input

I really think you should send it in to someone who knows more on the feild, can't imagine leucistic frogs being all that common!

RJ, there are about 3 or 4 of them that i've seen around here in the
summer months, all of them a light colouring, but this one is the lightest.

Very interesting.

Hi all

Saw these two frogs at a waterfall just north of De Rust near Oudtshoorn, would be grateful if someone could confirm the ids please. Looking at another photo here I think the first is a Giant Bullfrog (there were certainly some monster tadpoles in the pools) and the other two are of a Cape Platanna.

Apologies for the distortion, difficult taking stuff underwater when you're above

Thanks

Peter

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I dont have any references with me......But I'll say the first is definately one of the Rana species, possibly Cape River Frog or Common River Frog, the other is definately a xerophus species....and does look a bit like Cape.

Will have to confirm at a later stage, if no one has already!