Strongylopus grayii (Smith, 1849)

Size

Strongylopus grayii is a fairly small frog species; breeding individuals measure roughly 25 to 50 mm in snout-to-vent length.

Snout Morphology

Compared to most other species in its genus, its snout is less pointed, and its snout profile is similar to that of the Cape river frog.

Ventral Characteristics

Its ventral skin is smooth, and ranges in color from pale to white.

Dorsal Base Coloration

Dorsal skin color is variable, generally appearing in shades of brown with darker blotches.

Thigh Markings

Similar darker blotches form crosswise bars across the upper surfaces of the thighs.

Vertebral Line Trait

A lightly contrasting colored vertebral line, ranging from pale to reddish, is often present.

Dorsal Color Variants

Some color variants have a broad russet band running down the back.

Dorsal Skin Texture

The dorsal skin is textured with scattered small, raised, mostly longitudinal ridges.

Tympanum Size

The tympanum has a smaller diameter than the eye, but measures more than half the eye's diameter.

Tympanum Visibility

Though clearly visible, the tympanum is inconspicuous because it sits within a dark pigmented facial band behind the eye.

Dark Facial Band Description

This facial band extends approximately from the nostril, across the lower part of the eye, rearward over the tympanum, to the base of the fore leg.

Lower Facial Stripe

A pale line runs from below the eye, underneath the facial band, to the shoulder.

Upper Facial Stripe

Above the dark facial band, a light line runs from the snout, across the eye above the pupil, rearward to the shoulder.

Sexual Dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is slight in this species; males have golden coloration on the lower jaw.

Toe Webbing

The toes are well developed and unwebbed, or nearly unwebbed, on all four feet.

Front Toe Morphology

The front toes are slender, and are roughly as long as the fore legs are thick.

Rear Toe Morphology

The rear toes are long; the longest (fourth) rear toe extends forward to roughly the same length as the front toes when the frog is squatting.

Native Distribution

This species occurs naturally in Lesotho, South Africa, and Eswatini, and may also be present in Botswana and parts of Namibia.

Introduced Population & Abundance

It has an introduced population on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and it is a common species.

Common Name & Habitat Range

Strongylopus grayii, commonly called Gray's stream frog, occupies a wide range of habitats, and is only absent from arid areas.

Habitat Types

It can be found in forests, fynbos heathland, thickets, savanna, grassland, and modified habitats.

Breeding Habitat

Breeding occurs in nearly any shallow, vegetated body of water.