Amphibians of the East Usambara Mountains

The forests, streams and wetlands of the Amani Nature Reserve are home to a diverse and unique amphibian fauna. More than 40 species of amphibians occur in the East Usambaras, with new species still being discovered. Many of these species are found no where else in the world except the forests of the Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania, and a number are known only from the Usambaras.

Furthermore, the amphibians of the East Usambaras exhibit a bewildering array of life-history strategies. For example, the African clawed frog (Xenopus) is completely aquatic, the caecilian Boulengerula boulengeri lives underground, and Leptopelis tree frogs frequent the forest canopy. The number of reproductive strategies exhibited is also remarkable. There are species with aquatic eggs and tadpoles, those with arboreal eggs and aquatic tadpoles, and those that hide their arboreal eggs by folding them into leaves or protect them in foam nests. Other species skip the aquatic tadpole stage entirely. The arthroleptids of the forest leaf litter deposit their eggs on land which then hatch directly into small frogs, and the toad Nectophrynoides tornieri is one of the only frogs in the world that gives birth to live young.

Photos and poster: James Vonesh, Dept. of Zoology, University of Florida
© East Usambara Conservation Area Management Programme (EUCAMP) / Amani Nature Reserve

Order Gymnophiona - Family Caecilidae
	Order Anura - Family Microhylidae
(§) Boulengerula boulengeri Habitat - fossorial (i.e. underground) Reproduction - eggs placed in soil (*) Photo: J. Vonesh	(¤) Hoplophryne rogersi Habitat - forest leaf litter Reproduction - eggs deposited in bamboo holes, larvae are aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh
Order Anura - Family Microhylidae	Order Anura - Family Microhylidae
(¤) Callulina kreffti Habitat - semi-arboreal (i.e., ground and trees) Reproduction - unknown Photo: J. Vonesh	(¤) Probreviceps macrodactylus Habitat - forest leaf litter, semi-fossorial Reproduction - unknown Photo: J. Vonesh
Toads - Family Bufonidae	Toads - Family Bufonidae
(§) Nectophrynoides tornieri Habitat - forest floor and low vegetation Reproduction - viviparous - gives birth to live young Photo: J. Vonesh	(§) Bufo brauni Habitat - forest leaf litter, often near streams Reproduction - aquatic eggs are larvae Photo: J. Vonesh
True Frogs - Family Ranidae
	True Frogs - Family Ranidae
(§) Arthroleptides martiensseni Habitat - near streams Reproduction - eggs deposited on wet rocks, larvae cling to moist rocks along streams Photo: J. Vonesh	(§) Arthroleptides martiensseni Habitat - near streams Reproduction - eggs deposited on wet rocks, larvae cling to moist rocks along streams Photo: J. Vonesh
True Frogs - Family Ranidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(¤) Phrynobatrachus kreffti Habitat - near water, especially streams Reproduction - eggs deposited out of water, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh	Hyperolius parkeri Habitat - arboreal, breeds at ponds Reproduction - eggs deposited on vegetation above water, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(§) Afrixalus uluguruensis Habitat - arboreal (i.e. trees and bushes), breeds at ponds Reproduction - folds eggs into axial of leaf above water, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh	Dwardf Afrixalus Sp. A Habitat - arboreal, breeds at ponds Reproduction - folds eggs into axial of leaf above water, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh
	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
Hyperolius argus - Female Habitat - arboreal, breeds at ponds Reproduction - eggs and larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh	Hyperolius argus - Male Sexual dichromatism - In many, Hyperolius, males and females have different color patterns. Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
Hyperolius puncticulatus - Morph A Habitat - arboreal, breeds at water Reproduction - eggs Photo: J. Vonesh	(§) Hyperolius puncticulatus - Morph B Habitat - arboreal, breeds at water Reproduction - eggs Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(§) Hyperolius mitchelli Habitat - arboreal, breeds at water Reproduction - eggs deposited on vegetation above water, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh	Kassina maculata Habitat - terrestrial, often near or in water Reproduction - eggs are larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
Leptopelis flavomaculatus Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic Photo: J. Vonesh	(§) Leptopelis vermiculatus Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic (*) Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(§) Leptopelis uluguruensis Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic (*) Photo: J. Vonesh	(§) Leptopelis barbouri Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic (*) Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae	Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(§) Leptopelis parkeri - Male Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic (*) Photo: J. Vonesh	Leptopelis parkeri - Female Habitat - arboreal forest species Reproduction - eggs buried in soil, hatch with heavy rains, larvae aquatic (*) Photo: J. Vonesh
Tree Frogs - Family Hyperoliidae
(§) Hyperolius spinigularis Female guarding eggs. Photo: J. Vonesh

(¤) = Usambara endemic;   (§) = Eastern Arc mountains endemic   (*) = Presumed reproductive mode