Hyperoliidae (Family)

Overview

Hyperoliidae is a family of small to medium sized, brightly colored, frogs which contains more than 250 species in 19 genera. Seventeen genera are native to sub-Saharan Africa.^1] In addition, the monotypic genus Tachycnemis occurs on the Seychelles Islands, and the genus Heterixalus (currently 10 species) is endemic to Madagascar.

Hyperoliids range from 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in body length. Many species have smooth, brightly patterned, skin that almost looks enameled.^[2]

Most hyperoliids are arboreal, but some are terrestrial, including several Kassina species that move by walking or running rather than hopping. Diet varies widely, with examples including Tornierella, who specialize on snails^[], and Afrixalus fornasinii, the only terrestrial frog known to prey on eggs of other species of anurans.

Breeding in this family begins at the start of the rainy season where Hyperoliids congregate at breeding sites. Most hyperoliids lay their eggs in water, although foam nesting, tree hole breeding, and laying of eggs in vegetation above water are all known behaviors.^[2] Afrixalus builds leaf nests for its eggs, by folding and gluing the edges of the leaves. Tadpoles are pond type larvae with large dorsal fins on the tail.

No fossil hyperoliids are known.

Classification

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Family HYPEROLIIDAE
Subfamily Hyperoliinae
Genus Acanthixalus - African wart frogs
Genus Alexteroon - Midwife frogs
Genus Arlequinus - Mebebque frogs
Genus Callixalus - African painted frogs
Genus Chlorolius - Koehler's green frogs
Genus Chrysobatrachus - Itombwe golden frogs
Genus Cryptothylax - Wax frogs
Genus Heterixalus - Madagascan reed frogs
Genus Hyperolius - African reed frogs
Genus Nesionixalus
Subfamily Kassininae
Genus Afrixalus - Banana frogs
Genus Kassina - Running frogs
Genus Kassinula - Clicking frogs
Genus Opisthothylax - Grey-eyed frogs
Genus Paracassina - Common striped frogs
Genus Phlyctimantis - African striped frogs
Genus Semnodactylus - Weal's frogs
Genus Tornierella
Subfamily Tachycneminae
Genus Tachycnemis - Seychelles Islands frogs
es (3.1 in) in body length. Many species have smooth, brightly patterned, skin that almost looks enameled.^[2]
Most hyperoliids are arboreal, but some are terrestrial, including several Kassina species that move by walking or running rather than hopping. Diet varies widely, with examples including Tornierella, who specialize on snails^[], and Afrixalus fornasinii, the only terrestrial frog known to prey on eggs of other species of anurans.
Breeding in this family begins at the start of the rainy season where Hyperoliids congregate at breeding sites. Most hyperoliids lay their eggs in water, although foam nesting, tree hole breeding, and laying of eggs in vegetation above water are all known behaviors.^[2] Afrixalus builds leaf nests for its eggs, by folding and gluing the edges of the leaves. Tadpoles are pond type larvae with large dorsal fins on the tail.
No fossil hyperoliids are known.
Classification

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Family HYPEROLIIDAE
Subfamily Hyperoliinae
Genus Acanthixalus - African wart frogs
Genus Alexteroon - Midwife frogs
Genus Arlequinus - Mebebque frogs
Genus Callixalus - African painted frogs
Genus Chlorolius - Koehler's green frogs
Genus Chrysobatrachus - Itombwe golden frogs
Genus Cryptothylax - Wax frogs
Genus Heterixalus - Madagascan reed frogs
Genus Hyperolius - African reed frogs
Genus Nesionixalus
Subfamily Kassininae
Genus Afrixalus - Banana frogs
Genus Kassina - Running frogs
Genus Kassinula - Clicking frogs
Genus Opisthothylax - Grey-eyed frogs
Genus Paracassina - Common striped frogs
Genus Phlyctimantis - African striped frogs
Genus Semnodactylus - Weal's frogs
Genus Tornierella
Subfamily Tachycneminae
Genus Tachycnemis - Seychelles Islands frogs
References

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^ Shiotz, 1999
^ ^a ^b Zweifel, Robert G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 100?101. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
Schiotz, A. 1999. Treefrogs of Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, ISBN 3-930612-24-0
External links

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African Tree Frogs Herpetology (images)
Hyperoliidae information

Taxonomy

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The Family Hyperoliidae is a member of the Superfamily Ranoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Hyperoliidae:

Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animalia C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
Branch: Deuterostomia Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
Infrakingdom: Chordonia (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
Phylum: Chordata Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
Subphylum: Vertebrata Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
Superclass: Tetrapoda Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
Class: Amphibia (am-FIB-ee-uh) Gray, 1825
Subclass: Lissamphibia Haeckel, 1866
Infraclass: Lissamphibia
Order: Anura (Fischer von Waldheim, 1813) Gray, 1825 - Frogs, Toads
Suborder: Neobatrachia Reig, 1958
Superfamily: Ranoidea
Family: Hyperoliidae (Laurent, 1943) - African Reed Frogs

The Family Hyperoliidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Subfamily (1): Hyperoliinae

Genus (23): Acanthixalus · Afrixalus · Alexteroon · Arlequinus · Callixalus · Chlorolius · Chrysobatrachus · Cryptothylax · Cystignathus · Heterixalus · Hyperolius · Kassina · Kassinula · Megalixalus · Morerella · Nesionixalus · Opisthothylax · Paracassina · Phlyctimantis · Rappia · Semnodactylus · Tachycnemis · Tornierella

Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 459 species and subspecies in the Family Hyperoliidae.

Genera

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Acanthixalus

Acanthixalus is a genus of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Afrixalus

Afrixalus is a genus of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. There are about 30 species. [more]

Alexteroon

Alexteroon is a genus of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Arlequinus

Arlequinus krebsi is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Arlequinus.^[] It is endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Callixalus

Callixalus pictus is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Callixalus.^[] It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and possibly Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Chlorolius

Chlorolius koehleri is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Chlorolius.^[] It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, possibly Republic of the Congo, and possibly Equatorial Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, rivers, plantations , and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Chrysobatrachus

Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens is a species of in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Chrysobatrachus. It is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and intermittent freshwater marshes. [more]

Cryptothylax

Cryptothylax is a small genus of frogs. [more]

Cystignathus

[more]

Heterixalus

Heterixalus is a genus of in the Hyperoliidae family. All of its species are endemic to Madagascar. It contains the following species: [more]

Hyperolius

Hyperolius is a genus of in the Hyperoliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Kassina

Kassina are a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more traditional frog hopping . [more]

Kassinula

Kassinula wittei is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Kassinula.^[] It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and possibly Angola. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, intermittent freshwater lakes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. [more]

Megalixalus

[more]

Morerella

Nesionixalus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.^[1] [more]

Opisthothylax

Opisthothylax immaculatus is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Opisthothylax.^[] It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, possibly Angola, possibly Central African Republic, and possibly Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Paracassina

Paracassina is a of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Phlyctimantis

Phlyctimantis is a genus of in the Hyperoliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Rappia

[more]

Semnodactylus

Weale's Running Frog (Semnodactylus wealii) is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Semnodactylus.^[] It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, freshwater springs, pastureland, water storage areas, and ponds. [more]

Tachycnemis

The Seychelle Islands Tree Frog or Seychelles Treefrog (Tachycnemis seychellensis) is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family. It is endemic to Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, plantations , rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, and irrigated land. [more]

Tornierella

[more]

At least 3 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Tornierella.

More info about the Genus Tornierella may be found here.

References

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^ Shiotz, 1999

^ ^a ^b Zweifel, Robert G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 100?101. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.

Footnotes

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http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=31438

Sources

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