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This little and very quiet fellow sat on a chair on the deck of the tented camp in Punda Maria one evening, hopped onto the railing, the floor, and then I lost sight of it. Does anyone have any idea of what species this is?

I think its a foam nest frog.
Not sure, maybe someone has a book about tham?

It is a Foam Nest Frog
see www.bushveld.co.za/foam-nest-frog

I believe the most common name is Grey Tree Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina), but it is also called foam nest frog, grey foam nest fog, foam nest tree frog, african gray tree frog, etc.
The nests are fairly easy to find. Big balls of white foam hanging above water (so when eggs hatch the tadpoles fall into the water). If you look in the trees or bushes above the nests you might find the frogs, sleeping on the branches. But because of their color they are difficult to spot.
Most frogs I've seen are light grey, almost white. But as your (great) picture shows they occur in different colorations.
It is the only tree frog species occuring in the KNP.

Arie, that was a most helpful and informative reply. I had looked at tree frogs during my search, but they were the wrong colour. However, when searching by the Latin name, I came across http://www.rieo.net/amph/exfrog/ao/chiro/xera.htm and http://biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphot ... antis.html that show pictures of the coast foam-nest tree frog with a similar colour as in my photograph, and also mention the colour changes of the skin. The latter web reference also shows the typical posture adopted to minimise skin surface area.

Would this one I found hiding in the birdhide at Punda Maria be the same kind of frog then? Looks much the same:

Yes indeed. I think this posture is more or less characteristic for this species. I have also seen them like this in the toilets at the Skukuza reception.

What is this?



There were two of these “nestsâ€

Hi Jumbo,

This is the nest of the Foam nest frog (Chiromantis xerampelina).

The frog lays its eggs in a foam nest which overhangs water as in your pics and when the eggs hatch the tadpoles drop into the water where they can feed and grow.

IIRC the foam nest frog is normaly grey or light brown but turns white during the day.

Ooo! Thanks JB. That is the frog I nicknamed “Stickyâ€

I took some pictures of a grey tree frog last November:



I'm not working on a calibrated monitor right now so the colours might be a bit off. I'll try to post a proper picture tonight.

M

gorgeous frog, funny story
I wonder, is it true that all frogs have an almost toxic layer on their skin? I know when my dogs had their first experience with frogs, they would come in frog in mouth, huge eyes and froth pouring out of their mouths Then they would leave the poor frogs well alone after that.

night visitor at Olifants.



(thanks Arie, Pilane & son for the identification!)