Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog
Afrixalus fornasini
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderAnura (Frogs and Toads)
- FamilyHyperoliidae (African Reed Frogs)
- GenusAfrixalus (Banana Frogs)
- SpeciesAfrixalus fornasini (Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog)
About the Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog
Afrixalus fornasini is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae and is native to Africa. Its common name is Fornasini's spiny reed frog or the greater leaf-folding frog The specific epithet fornasini is in honour of Italian amateur naturalist Carlo Antonio Fornasini, who collected the type specimen.
It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and possibly Eswatini. Its natural habitats are temperate forest, subtropical or tropical dry forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, water storage areas, and ponds.
The species is threatened in some parts of its range by habitat loss, but in general it is not very rare, and in some places common. Both male and female Afrixalus fornasinii adults prey on grey foam-nest tree frog eggs and tadpoles. This species is the first African anuran to demonstrate hetero-cannibalism by preying on eggs belonging to the same family. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog in Kruger National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kruger National Park
Golden Dwarf Reed Frog
Afrixalus aureus
Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
Senegal Kassina
Kassina senegalensis
Water Lily Reed Frog
Hyperolius pusillus
Tinker Reed Frog
Hyperolius tuberilinguis
Red-legged Wot-wot
Phlyctimantis maculatus
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
Garman's Toad
Sclerophrys garmani
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
Ptychadena anchietae
African Split-skin Toad
Schismaderma carens
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
Phrynomantis bifasciatus
Edible bullfrog
Pyxicephalus edulis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 5 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog in Kruger National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog in Kruger National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog in Kruger National Park in our monthly data.