About Strongylopus bonaespei (Dubois, 1981)
Body Shape
The banded stream frog (Strongylopus bonaespei) is a slender, streamlined frog with a long pointed snout and long hind legs. The distance from the ankle to the knee on its hind leg is greater than half the length of its body.
Hind Toe Feature
When the frog sits, the fourth toe on its hind foot extends past its front foot.
Dorsal Coloration
Its dorsal skin is pale, marked with brown, gold, grey, and sometimes red to orange stripes running along the body.
Ventral & Limb Appearance
Its legs have crosswise bands across them, and its ventral skin is smooth and white.
Endemic Range
This species is endemic to South Africa. It is almost entirely endemic to the Western Cape, with its distribution just extending into the western part of the Eastern Cape.
Specific Distribution Boundaries
Its range extends from the Cape Peninsula north into the Cederberg Mountains, and east as far as Witelsbos Forest Reserve in the Tsitsikamma Mountains.
Habitat Type
The banded stream frog typically inhabits montane fynbos, and occasionally occurs on the margins of exotic pine forest planted over fynbos.
Habitat Preference Details
It prefers flat, open areas near streams, and tends to avoid steep slopes and deep valleys. It lives in regions where annual rainfall exceeds 500mm.
Breeding Habitat
For breeding, it uses well vegetated shallow seasonal marshy areas and seepages, with long grass, restios, or infrequently ferns.
