Poyntonia paludicola Channing & Boycott, 1989

Body Form

Poyntonia paludicola resembles bufonids because of its stout body form and warty outward appearance.

Body Size

Adult individuals reach a body length of 27 to 30 mm, and females grow larger than males.

Tympanum Characteristics

The tympanum is not visible on this species.

Limb Structure

The fingers have slight webbing, while the toes are long and lack discs.

Body Wart Coverage

Most of the frog's body is covered in warts. A raised mass of warty skin is present behind each of its eyes.

Dorsal Markings

Most individuals have a red-orange stripe running along the vertebra, and most also have a long white teardrop-shaped mark that extends from the bottom of the eye toward the top of the arm.

Ventral Coloration

The belly is pale, and often has unevenly distributed dark blotches.

Male Advertisement Call

The male advertisement call of this species is made up of 1 to 6 brief, low-pitched chirps at a rate of roughly three chirps per second, and sounds like a unique coarse "kruck-kruck-kruck".

Egg Characteristics

Relative to the adult body size of the species, its eggs are fairly large.

Observed Clutch Details

One clutch laid in September 2020 held 15 eggs, which were deposited at the edge of a seepage pool in 2 cm of muddy water.

Morphological Similarities

In terms of morphology and the relative size of eggs and larvae, Poyntonia paludicola shares many similarities with Capensibufo, a genus of small montane toads that uses similar habitat and occurs in sympatry with P. paludicola.

Habitat Vegetation

Poyntonia paludicola lives in montane fynbos, a Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, in regions that receive high annual rainfall between 2,000 and 3,000 mm.

Elevational Range

Its elevational range extends from sea level up to 1800 meters above sea level.

Breeding Habitat

These frogs breed in shallow puddles connected to seepage areas, and these seepages often have some amount of water flow.

Habitat Threats

Threats to the species' habitat include encroachment by alien vegetation, water abstraction, and disruption of natural fire regimes.

Protected Populations

Most populations of Poyntonia paludicola are found within protected areas, including the Kogelberg Biosphere Nature Reserve, Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, and Fernkloof Nature Reserve.