Herpetology Notes, volume 8: 129-131 (2015) (published online on 10 April 2015) Weaver nests as a resting site for frogs Hans-Dieter Oschadleus Abstract. Reed frogs Hyperolius spp. and leaf-folding frogs Afrixalus spp. were recorded as resting in weaver bird nests in the daytime, from two sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A Painted Reed Frog Hyperolius marmoratus taeniatus was found in a Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus nest over a stream in 2004. Thirteen individuals of three frog species (Afrixalus spinifrons, Hyperolius marmoratus marmoratus, Afrixalus fornasinii) were found in the nests of a large mixed-species weaver colony in a wetland in 2009. Key words. Amphibia; Hyperolius marmoratus; Afrixalus spinifrons; Afrixalus fornasinii;Aves; Ploceidae; Ploceus velatus; Ploceus subaureus; Amblyospiza albifrons; resting Reed frogs Hyperolius spp. and leaf-folding frogs Frog Hyperolius marmoratus taeniatus (Peters, 1854) Afrixalus spp. are agile climbers that call and rest on jumped out and I photographed it where it landed on vegetation some distance from the surface of water nearby vegetation. The weaver nest contained 3 weaver (Carruthers, 2001; Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009). eggs. It was not clear if the nest had been deserted, or Here several records of some of these frogs resting in if the frog had been in the nest for a short time (while weaver bird nests in the daytime are presented. the female weaver was foraging). The frog may be a Over the last three decades I have checked a few recent arrival in this area, and it was first recorded in thousand nests of weaver birds to document the eggs northern KwaZulu-Natal during the frog atlas of 1996- and chicks, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western 2002 (Minter et al. 2004). Cape, two provinces of South Africa. Frogs were found The second set of records is from a mixed-species resting diurnally in the nests of weavers in reeds on two weaver colony in a wetland (Fig. 1) at Impisini Nature occasions, both in KwaZulu-Natal, and these results are presented below. These records were submitted to FrogMAP for identification. FrogMAP is an online Virtual Museum (Navarro 2010), citizen science project of the Animal Demography Unit, and is a continuation of the Southern African Frog Atlas Project (SAFAP, Minter et al. 2004). The first record is from a Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus Vieillot, 1819 colony at a stream next to a tarred road between Dundee and Vryheid, on 12 January 2004 (Table 1). As I put my hand into one nest suspended on Typha reeds, a Painted Reed Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Figure 1. The wetland at Impisini Nature Reserve, KwaZulu- University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa. Natal, with many weaver nests in the Typha reeds, where some Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] of the nests were used by frogs for resting. 1 130 Hans-Dieter Oschadleus Table 1. Frog species resting in weaver nests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Table 1. Frog species resting in weaver nests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Site Weaver species Nest no. Contents Frog species Number FrogMAP no. Dundee - Vryheid Ploceus velatus N1 3 eggs Hyperolius marmoratus taeniatus 1 frog 1858 Impisini Ploceus subaureus N36 2 eggs Afrixalus fornasinii 2 frogs 52 Impisini Ploceus subaureus N37 0 Hyperolius m. marmoratus 3 frogs 53 Impisini Ploceus subaureus N38 0 Hyperolius m. marmoratus 1 frog 54 Impisini Ploceus subaureus N39 0 Afrixalus fornasinii , 2 frogs 56 Hyperolius m. marmoratus Impisini Ploceus subaureus N40 ? Hyperolius m. marmoratus, 3 frogs in entrance n/a Afrixalus fornasinii Impisini Amblyospiza albifrons N3 0 Afrixalus spinifrons 1 frog 55 Reserve outside Umkomaas, on 15 December 2009. The out to photograph before release. In one nest I noticed colony consisted of some 60 Eastern Golden Weaver three frogs (two Painted Reed Frogs and a Greater P. subaureus Smith, 1839 nests and four Thick-billed Leaf Folding Frog) peering out from the entrance of an Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons (Vigors, 1831) nests in Eastern Golden Weaver nest. These were photographed reeds in a small pond. While checking the weaver nests, and not disturbed further (Fig. 5). I was surprised at finding several frogs, often more than Weaver nests are domed, strongly constructed, and one frog in a nest (Table 1). One Thick-billed Weaver provide shelter for a variety of birds and even bats and nest was an empty breeding nest, but contained one rodents (Oschadleus, 2008; del Hoyo et al. 2010). The Natal Leaf-folding Frog Afrixalus spinifrons (Cope, frogs probably use the nests as darkened, safe havens 1862) (Fig. 2). Five Eastern Golden Weaver nests to rest in during the day, and the nests are close to the contained 1-3 frogs, usually of a single species, but water where the frogs would call from at night. Frogs twice a nest contained frogs of different species. The using weaver nests close to their call sites may save on species encountered were Painted Reed Frog Hyperolius travel and search costs, and the nests may also provide m. marmoratus (Rapp, 1842) and Greater Leaf Folding protection from frog predators. Frog Afrixalus fornasinii (Bianconi, 1849) (Fig. 3-4). Little is recorded about daytime resting of these frog In four cases the frogs were felt once my hand was species. During the day, reed frogs Hyperolius spp. and inside the nest chamber, and were grasped and taken leaf-folding frogs Afrixalus spp. rest in vegetation near Figure 2. Afrixalus spinifrons from Amblyospiza albifrons Figure 3. Afrixalus fornasinii from Ploceus subaureus nest nest. (2 frogs but 1 in this photo). Frogs in weaver nests 131 Figure 4. Hyperolius m. marmoratus from Ploceus subaureus Figure 5. Hyperolius m. marmoratus and Afrixalus fornasinii nest (3 frogs but 1 in this photo). from Ploceus subaureus nest (3 frogs in nest entrance). water, or away from water (Du Preez and Carruthers, du Preez, L., Carruthers, V. (2009): A complete guide to the frogs 2009). A. fornasinii rests in the leaf axils of plants of southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa : Random House (Wager, 1986). A. spinifrons never sits sun-bathing in Struik. Kielgast, J, Lötters, S. (2009): Forest weaverbird nests utilized exposed positions (Wager, 1986), while H. marmoratus by foam-nest frogs (Rhacophoridae: Chiromantis) in Central can be seen sitting in exposed or hidden positions on Africa. Salamandra, 45(3): 170-171. plants (Wager, 1986; Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009). Minter, L.R., Burger, M., Harrison, J.A., Braack, H.H., Bishop, Weaver nests in reeds provide opportunistic shelters for P.J., Kloepfer, D. (2004): Atlas and Red Data Book of the Frogs these frogs, although it is unknown what interactions of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. SI/MAB series # 9. occur between the weavers and frogs. Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Other frogs have been recorded in weaver nests. Navarro, R.A. (2010): Animal Demography Unit Virtual Museum. Available at: http://vmus.adu.org.za. Last accessed on 27 Wilson (1948) found a few unidentified tree frogs in October 2014. the occupied nests of a Grey-headed Social-weaver Oschadleus, H.D. (2008): Bird nests as roost sites for Kerivoula Pseudonigrita arnaudi (Bonaparte, 1850) nesting bats in southern Africa. African Journal of Ecology 46: 693- colony, without providing further details. Kielgast 696. and Lötters (2009) found the African foam-nest tree Wager, V.A. (1986): Frogs of South Africa. Delta Books, frog Chiromantis rufescens (Günther, 1869) using the Craighall. empty nests of the Blue-billed Malimbe Malimbus Wilson, C. E. (1948): Birds causing crop damage in the Sudan. Sudan Notes and Records, 29: 161-172. nitens (Gray, 1831) to deposit foam-nests with eggs. The authors provide details and photographs, and their record seems to be the only one of frogs using weaver nests as a breeding site. Acknowledgements. The frog photos were identified by Andrew Turner and Darren Pietersen on the FrogMAP expert panel. James Harrison provided helpful comments on an earlier draft. References Carruthers, V. (2001): Frogs and frogging in southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Christie, D.A. (eds). (2010): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 15. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Accepted by Hendrik Müller.