Keys to tadpoles and frogs Extracted from: Du Preez, L.H. & Carruthers, V.C. (2009) Complete guide to Frogs of Southern Africa. Random House Struik, Cape Town. FIELD KEY TO THE GENERA OF ADULT FROGS The first part of this field key deals with adult frogs (as opposed to tadpoles), and enables identification to the generic level only, except in those instances where the genus contains only one species, which is then named. KEY TO FROG GENERA a. Hard claws on b. No hard claws on the toes 1 3 toes of each foot Platannas Xenopus pp.328–337 ...................... 2 2 a. Pupil vertically b. Pupil circular elongated in bright light or horizontally elongated in bright light ................. 3 ................ 10 3 a. Adhesive terminal b. No adhesive terminal discs on fingers discs on fingers or toes or toes (may be no wider than the toe in some instances) ..................... 4 ................... 7 4 a. Terminal discs on b. Terminal discs fingers spatulate on fingers, not (squared off at the tip) squared off at the tip .................. 5 ................. 6 5 a. Known from the b. Known from the extreme north Western Cape of the Eastern and western Cape, KwaZulu- part of the Natal and Eastern Cape Mpumalanga Natal Cascade Frog Ghost Frogs Hadromophryne natalensis Heleophryne pp.196–199 pp.200–213 6 a. Red or pinkish coloration in the groin b. No red or pinkish coloration in the groin Red-legged Kassina Kassina maculata pp.274–275 ................... 7 7 a. Tympanum b. Tympanum clearly visible concealed Leaf-folding Tree Frogs Frogs Leptopelis Afrixalus pp.88–101 pp.222–235 8 a. Snout pointed b. Snout rounded with hard tip without hard tip Shovel-nosed Frogs Hemisus pp.214–221 .............. 9 9 a. Dark b. Dark longitudinal longitudinal bands split bands solid down the centre Bubbling Rattling Frog Kassina Semnodactylus Kassina wealii senegalensis pp.278–279 pp.276–277 10 a. Adhesive terminal b. No adhesive terminal discs on fingers or toes discs on fingers or toes ............... 11 ................ 13 a. Terminal discs on b. Terminal discs on 11 fingers T-shaped fingers not T-shaped Kloof Frog Natalobatrachus bonebergi pp.388–390 ............. 12 a. Tympanum b. Tympanum hidden 12 conspicuous Southern Foam Nest Frog Chiromantis Reed Frogs xerampelina Hyperolius pp.458–459 pp.236–271 a. Inner metatarsal b. Inner metatarsal 13 tubercle massive and tubercle absent or flanged for digging small and not flanged ............... 14 .............. 18 14 a. Leg length shorter than body b. Leg length longer than body ................... 15 .................. 16 a. Cloaca opening facing backwards b. Cloaca opening deflected downwards 15 and not surrounded by skin folds and surrounded by skin folds Highland Primitive Rain Frog Rain Frogs Probreviceps Breviceps rhodesianus pp.102–133 p.135 16 a. Pair of white Y-shaped marks on a dark throat b. No white Y-shaped marks on a dark throat Ornate Frog Hildebrandtia ornata pp.302–303 ....... 17 17 a. Two tooth-like projections in the lower jaw b. No projections in the lower jaw Bullfrogs Sand Frogs Pyxicephalus Tomopterna pp.410–417 pp.432–449 a. Ventral skin granular b. Ventral 18 skin smooth ............... 19 ....... 25 a. Conspicuous b. No conspicuous 19 tarsal fold tarsal fold (elevated skin ridge along tarsus) ................ 20 ................ 22 a. Conspicuous b. No parotoid 20 parotoid glands glands behind the head Red Toad Schismaderma carens .................. 21 pp.190–192 a. Dark patches arranged in more or less b. Dark patches randomly distributed over 21 symmetrical pairs on either side the dorsum of the vertebra Typical toads Amietophrynus Van Dijk’s Toads Vandijkophrynus pp.136–155 pp.172–183 22 a. Hourglass dorsal pattern b. No hourglass pattern on dorsum Squeakers Arthroleptis pp.80–87 .................. 23 a. Found only in the southwestern Cape b. Found north of the southwestern Cape 23 mountains (winter-rainfall area) mountains (summer-rainfall area) Mountain Toadlets Capensibufo pp.184–189 .................. 24 a. Parotoid glands prominent and forming b. Parotoid glands not prominent 24 a continuous ‘platform’ with the top of the head and never forming a continuous ‘platform’ with the top of the head Forest Toads Mertensophryne Pygmy Toads Poyntonophrynus pp.193–195 pp.156–171 25 a. Black or very dark with red or pink markings b. Coloration not as in a. Rubber Frogs Phrynomantis pp.281–289 ................. 26 a. No webbing b. Webbing 26 between toes between toes ................. 27 ................ 29 a. Ventral surface b. Ventral 27 with dark rounded surface patches, sometimes immaculate, fused or elongated marbled or speckled Cacos Cacosternum pp.362–385 .................. 28 a. Found only in the b. Found only in 28 Eastern Cape and the Western Cape KwaZulu-Natal Chirping Frogs Moss Frogs Anhydrophryne Arthroleptella pp.338–345 pp.346–361 a. 2 (occasionally 3) b. No bars as in a. 29 pale bars stretching from below eye to upper lip Montane Marsh Frog Poyntonia paludicola pp.391–393 .............. 30 a. Shank (tibia) b. Shank (tibia) length (a) more than half body 30 length (a) less than length (b) half body length (b) b b a a ................. 31 .......... 32 a. Found only in b. Found only north 31 the Western Cape of the Limpopo River Micro Frog Golden-backed Frogs Microbatrachella capensis Hylarana pp.386–387 pp.450–455 a. Small tubercle b. No tubercle 32 midway along tarsus midway along tarsus Puddle Frogs Phrynobatrachus pp.290–299 ................ 33 a. 6 or more continuous parallel skin ridges b. If present, ridges on back 33 stretching from behind the eyes down the discontinuous or fewer than 6 length of the back Grass Frogs Ptychadena pp.304–327 ................. 34 a. At least 3 phalanges b. Less than 3 phalanges 34 of longest toe of longest toe free of webbing free of webbing Stream Frogs River Frogs Strongylopus Amietia pp.418–431 pp.394–409 FIELD KEY TO THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OF TADPOLES a. Shank (tibia) b. Shank (tibia) length (a) more than half body 30 length (a) less than length (b) The following field key deals with the tadpole stage of frogs. In some instances, it is possible half body length (b) to determine identification of a specimen to family level only – these are contained in the first part of the tadpole field key. Those tadpoles that can be identified to genus level are covered in the second part of the key. KEY TO TADPOLE FAMILIES b. Oral disc present and usually keratinized 1 a. No jaw sheaths, labial tooth rows jaw sheaths, labial tooth rows and oral ................. 31 .......... 32 or oral papillae papillae present a. Found only in b. Found only north 31 the Western Cape of the Limpopo River .................. 2 ................. 3 a. Mouth with a fold in the lower lip, b. Mouth a horizontal slit with tentacles at 2 lacking tentacles and one medial spiracle the sides, and a spiracle at each side Micro Frog Golden-backed Frogs Microbatrachella capensis Hylarana Rubber Frogs Platannas pp.386–387 pp.450–455 Microhylidae Pipidae Phrynomantis Xenopus p. 282 p.329 a. Small tubercle b. No tubercle 32 midway along tarsus midway along tarsus a. More than 7 lower tooth rows; b. Less than 8 lower tooth rows; gap in 3 papillae all around oral disk without gaps; upper jaw papillae; upper jaw sheath present no upper jaw sheath Ghost Frogs Puddle Frogs Heleophrynidae Phrynobatrachus p.77 ................ 4 pp.290–299 ................ 33 a. A broad gap in lower jaw papillae; b. Gap in lower jaw papillae absent 4 vent median and marginal or small; vent on right side of fin a. 6 or more continuous parallel skin ridges b. If present, ridges on back 33 stretching from behind the eyes down the discontinuous or fewer than 6 length of the back Toads Bufonidae p.77 ................ 5 a. Connective tissue extending anteriorly, b. Tail fin not obscured by connective tissue 5 dorsally and ventrally beyond the tail muscles Grass Frogs Ptychadena Shovel-nosed pp.304–327 ................. 34 Frogs Hemisotidae (part) Hemisus p.215 .................. 6 a. At least 3 phalanges b. Less than 3 phalanges 34 of longest toe of longest toe free of webbing free of webbing a. Two undivided lower labial tooth rows b. Not as in a. 6 Stream Frogs River Frogs Strongylopus Amietia pp.418–431 pp.394–409 ................. 7 ............... 10 Most drawings by Angelo Lambiris a. Vent supramarginal b. Vent marginal and 7 and dextral more or less dextral Reed Frogs Hyperoliidae (part) .................. 8 p.78 a. Tadpole with proportionally very long, b. Tail not exceptionally long and no white- 8 shallow tail and numerous white-tipped tipped tubercles covering the body and the tubercles covering the body and front third of front third of the tail; not found in tail; found in seeps on Western Cape mountains the Western Cape Marsh Frog Pyxicephalidae (part) Poyntonia paludicola pp.392–393 ................... 9 a. Internarial distance > 10X nostril diameter b. Internarial distance < 6X nostril diameter 9 Puddle Frogs Phrynobatrachidae Grass Frogs Phrynobatrachus Ptychadenidae p.291 p.78 a. 1 upper labial b. More than 1 upper 10 tooth row present labial tooth row or row absent Reed Frogs Hyperoliidae (part) ............. 11 p.78 a. Narrow medial gap in lower jaw papillae; not found in Western Cape b. Not as in a. 11 Foam Nest Frogs Rhacophoridae Chiromantis pp.456–459 ............. 12 a. Internarial distance b. Internarial distance 12 > 10X nostril diameter < 6X nostril diameter ............... 13 .................. 14 a. Long finger-like papillae bordering b. Papillae bordering lower jaw not long and 13 lower jaw; 4 labial tooth rows in lower jaw finger-like; 3 labial tooth rows in lower jaw Shovel-nosed Frogs Tree Frogs Hemisotidae (part) Arthroleptidae (part) Hemisus Leptopelis p.215 p.89 a.