Delicate Spiny Reed Frog

About the Delicate Spiny Reed Frog

Afrixalus delicatus, the delicate leaf-folding frog, delicate spiny reed frog or Pickersgill's banana frog, is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Southern and Eastern Africa, from eastern South Africa and Eswatini (not confirmed) northward through Mozambique, the low altitude parts of Malawi and Tanzania, southeastern Kenya to southern Somalia.

Afrixalus delicatus was described in 1984 by Martin Pickersgill. The account of Afrixalus delicatus in the AmphibiaWeb combines this species with Afrixalus brachycnemis, although it also recognizes the latter species as a subspecies of Afrixalus stuhlmanni. The Amphibian Species of the World treats A. brachycnemis as a valid species. Application of these names is discussed in Poynton (2007).

Adult males measure 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) and females 17–22 mm (0.67–0.87 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsum is light brown to gold with a brassy sheen. There are vague brown speckles over the mid-dorsum and a lateral line that is well-defined in its anterior part; these vary in colouration from reddish brown to nearly black, depending probably on temperature, light and humidity. The tibia is... Wikipedia →