TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae (African Tree Frogs)

Genus/species: Heterixalus madagascariensis

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Though color can change depending on environmental conditions, the back is usually uniformly white, gray, or sometimes yellow. Thighs and the undersides of legs and feet are orange. A dark band extends between the nostril and eye. Males to 3.5 cm (1.35 inches) snout to vent; females to 4 cm (1.5 inches).

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Endemic to Madagascar. Found along the northeast coast near rainforest edges, in dry forested areas, and coastal forests as well as deforested areas, crop lands, and even urban areas.

DIET IN THE WILD: A nocturnal and semi-arboreal hunter of insects, it readily eats insects as big as its own head.

REMARKS: All of the 11 known species of the genus Heterixalus are endemic to Madagascar. Reed frogs spend days resting or sleeping in the sun, frequently perched on emergent vegetation of swamps and ponds, thus the common name “reed frogs.”

Rainforest, Madagascar MA12

References

IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/details/56102/0

Amphibia Web  http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Heterixalus&where-species=madagascariensis

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4813851121/in/set-72157620708610230

Ron’s WordPress shortlink   http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-MX