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Treefrogs at Amboseli National Park, Kenya Hyperolius sp? |
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| A raucus group of treefrogs occupied a small stream running through the reception area at Tortillis camp, located inside Amboseli National Park. This photograph is a flash photo taken at night of an active treefrog. All the others below were taken the next day of resting frogs. (Yes, the positions are nearly identical. You'll have to believe me that this one actually jumped away just after the picture was taken.) | ||||
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These were small treefrogs, all between an inch and an inch and a half or so.
I assume they are all of the same species, since they occupied a pond no
larger than about 20 square feet, and it would be surprising to find distinct
but very similar species in such a small area. Notice the wide variety of
colors though, from light yellow to almost black. Many have a wide eye stripe,
but some do not. Many have small black speckles on the back (most noticeable
in the picture at top taken at night), but some do not appear to.
The manager of Tortillis camp called these treefrogs "Caramanthus", referring to a genus name that I can find no other mention of anywhere, not even as an obsolete name. So that's a bit of a mystery right there (unless I just spelled it wrong?). My current best guess is that these frogs belong to the Ferniquei population of Hyperolius viridiflavus. Schiøtz's Treefrogs of Africa describes this form as "Brown to grey, uniform or with minute black spots.[...] Uplands of southern Kenya, including the Nairobi area." Please send me mail if you have any further information, reference suggestions, or wild guesses that might help me identify these treefrogs.
7/7/00 -- Dr. Drewes identified these frogs as Hyperolius glandicolor. | ||||
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