Hyperolius marmoratus

Hyperolius marmoratus is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. (Channing, 2001)

Hyperolius marmoratus is found in savannas and open bush along water sources such as rivers and streams, as well as in lowlands that contain temporary pools during the rainy season. (Channing, 2001)

Hyperolius marmoratus is small to medium in size, the male reaching 43mm in length. The side of its snout is curved and the head width is 32-38% of its body length. The toes end in toe pads that enable the frog to climb up stems of grass and reeds. They have an enormous variety of brightly colored markings, with a profusion of stripes, spots, or stippling. Currently, populations are grouped by shared color patterns into subspecies. Some may be pale brown with darker spots or striped with lighter and darker brown. Others may be striped with thick bands of black and white with a yellow stripe running down the center. While, still others have red-brown spots on a light background. There are many variations known. ("Survival Online", 2001; Channing, 2001)

Hyperolius marmoratus tadpoles hatch in less than a week and develop into small froglets within 2 months. Tadpoles may grow to be 44mm in length. They are brown with speckled fins, and have tails that end in a sharp point tipped with black. The tadpoles are bottom dwellers, and prefer shallow, grassy pools. In captivity, metamorphosis takes 64-100 days. The adult color phase develops when the frog reaches sexual maturity. The identification of Hyperolius marmoratus depends largely on color pattern. (Channing, 2001)

Males establish small calling territories in ponds in order to breed. Elevated calling sites are defended through intense kicking bouts against any male intruders. Hyperolius marmoratus females approach males in breeding ponds and initiate amplexus. (Channing, 2001)

This lasts for several hours making it possible for a male to mate with only one female each night. Fertilization is external during the period of egg laying. A Hyperolius marmoratus clutch consists of 150-600 small eggs that are between 1.3-1.5mm in diameter, and are within 2.5mm capsules. The eggs are laid in clumps of about 20, attached to underwater vegetation, during the rainy season. They are pale yellow with a dark brown end, although some have also been reported to be blue-green. In captivity, females are reported to produce eggs every 2 or 3 weeks for up to 14 months or longer, once they reach sexual maturity. In the field this may be variable depending on the weather. ("Survival Online", 2001; "Travel Africa Online", 2002; Channing, 2001; Grafe, 1997; Schmuck, et al., 1994)

Neither sex provides parental care. (Channing, 2001)

In captivity Hyperolius marmoratus can live at least 4 years 9 months. (Channing, 2001)

Hyperolius marmoratus is highly terrestrial and returns to water only to breed. They spend much of the day sitting motionless on reeds and other waterside plants, while at night they become more active and the males begin to call. During the heart of the dry season H. marmoratus entirely suppresses feeding, and its survival time depends both on energy reserves and on its ability to minimize evaporative water loss. ("Survival Online", 2001; Grafe, 1997; Schmuck and Linsenmair, 1997)

Hyperolius marmoratus spends much time exposed to the bright sun, putting it at risk from drying out. Yet it still has a very low rate of water loss through the skin compared with other frogs. Water is conserved by H. marmoratus in three ways. First, it has a "water balance" response in which it reduces activity and rests in a water-conserving posture that minimizes surface exposure. During the dry season it remains motionless on a single leaf throughout the day. It also aestivates, which is a special form of dry season "hibernation." This slows down its metabolism to 50% of its normal resting rate. Also during the dry season, especially during high temperatures, H. marmoratus is white and therefore reflects sunlight. This color comes from the food that H. marmoratus consumes. Food wastes are converted into substances called purines. Small purine platelets arranged parallel to the surface are part of the pigment cells, or iridiophores, of the skin. These crystals act as interference reflectors, and reduce the heat load by reflecting sunlight. Lastly, H. marmoratus becomes completely anuric when dehydrated. Because of this it is able to store water in the bladder which can be used later for cooling when conditions become harsh. Above very high temperatures it makes use of this water by releasing it through the skin to evaporate and cool itself. Also, H. marmoratus has an accelerated water uptake, which can extend the survival period when dewfall or very short and light occasional rain showers supply a few drops of water at irregular intervals. (Channing, 2001; Schmuck and Linsenmair, 1997)

There is no information available on home range in this frog species.

Hyperolius marmoratus has an impressive vocal capacity. The male calls from vegetation around bodies of water. The call is a short whistle, only about 0.1 seconds long and has a frequency ranging from 2.8 to 3.1 kHz. The vocal sac of H. marmoratus is very large. This amplifies his call, making it very loud. Two males may call simultaneously, alternating with a third male. The call helps to maintain male spacing to a minimum of about 50 cm. Females prefer to select an isolated male as opposed to a male calling close to another male, as well as a male that is near to the female's release site. Females are also attracted to high call rates and greater intensities. Females select the male with the loudest call, so long as there is a noticeable difference between the calls of that area. It is speculated that females choose conspicuous males in order to reduce search time when under the risk of predation in the chorus. It has been found that chorus tenure duration has the most significant influence on mating success. Because calling is energetically expensive to H. marmoratus, by mating, males are able to conserve energy, which enables them to attend the breeding site more frequently and to call more energetically. Males will also return on successive evenings to exactly the same calling site. ("Travel Africa Online", 2002; Channing, 2001; Dyson, et al., 1998; Grafe, 1997)

Touch is used to initiate amplexus. These frogs also perceive the environment with their keen eyesight, attuned to perceiving motion.

Hyperolius marmoratus feeds on a variety of small insects. (Channing, 2001)

Hyperolius marmoratus adults rely on their agility and ability to leap great distances to escape from danger. They also have red skin on the inside of the thighs and the side of the belly, which functions as a startle mechanism, because it is only visible when the animal jumps. ("Survival Online", 2001; "Travel Africa Online", 2002; Channing, 2001; Grafe, 1997)

Hyperolius marmoratus is prey to many different species of animals in its ecosystem.

Hyperolius marmoratus is known to be a predator of the important citrus pest, the citrus psylla (Diaphorina citri). (Channing, 2001)

There are no known adverse effects of these frogs on humans.

These frogs are widespread and not currently considered threatened. Local populations may be threatened by water diversions, habitat disruption, and pesticide or herbicide use.