Tag Archives: frogging

Satara Summer 2021 – Frogging

One of the great pleasures of our summer 2021 holidays at Satara in the Kruger National Park was searching for frogs after dark in the aftermath of the rain showers that passed over the camp regularly.

Brown-backed Tree Frog

Eastern Olive Toad

Foam Nest Frog

Banded Rubber Frog

Sharp-nosed Grass Frog

In the next three installments of de Wets Wild we’ll be taking a closer look at the Banded Rubber Frog, Brown-backed Tree Frog and Eastern Olive Toad. We’ll also feature the Sharp-nosed Grass Frog soon, and have a read here to learn more about the Southern Foam Nest Frog if you’d like.

Natal Sand Frog

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Tomopterna natalensis

A small frog, only about 4cm long, with variable colouration, the Natal Sand Frog occurs in grasslands and savanna habitats, where they usually breed in shallow water – standing or flowing – soon after the first rains of the season. The tadpoles grow exceptionally quickly, completing their metamorphosis in just two to three weeks! They hibernate underground in sandy soils, and dig themselves into the ground backwards with their hind legs.

In South Africa the Natal Sand Frog is distributed from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal and into Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo. They’re also found in Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland) and is considered to be of least concern.

Natal Sand Frogs

Natal Sand Frog

Natal Sand Frogs

Natal Sand Frog

Autumn Highlands Holidays – Frogging at Mahai

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We recently started nurturing more than a passing interest in South Africa’s different kinds of amphibians, adding another fascinating facet to our enjoyment of our natural heritage. When we visited the Royal Natal National Park in March the trout dam at Mahai proved an excellent spot to go looking for frogs and toads, and other aquatic life, as soon as darkness fell.

(Look out for a special feature post about the Common River Frog to be published here in early June, and follow the links for more on the Painted Reed Frog and Raucous Toad in the meantime)