Janblom

Observed by Beneke74
Botanical Society of South Africa
Beneke74's reputation in Amphibians and ReptilesBeneke74's reputation in Amphibians and Reptiles on 5th October 2013
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Location: Wolfkloof/dam
Identifications
Species interactions

No interactions present.

Other observations of Plain Rain Frog (Breviceps fuscus)

Comments

That is so cute!

That is so cute!

Insane!

Even after handling it I still can't believe such a thing exist

towards an ID

Not gibbosus: that is confined to the western coast (Saldanha to Cape Town on granites and sandy loams).

The choices for the Ruens-Langeberg are:

with a facial mask:
Cape Mountain Rainfrog B. montanus (belly granular, beige with dark blotches: Sandstone Fynbos (?Shale Fynbos?))
Sand Rainfrog B. rosei subsp. vansooni (belly pale with brown flecks: Sand and Limestone Fynbos)

no facial mask:
Strawberry Rainfrog B. acutirostris (belly plum with with spots: Sandstone Fynbos, (?Shale Fynbos?))
Plain Rainfrog B. fuscus (belly smooth, purple brown: Afromontane Forest)

You dont have a belly picture do you?

This looks like fuscus from the top so will post it, pending confirmation with a belly view ...

out of range

If this is B. fuscus it is a significant range extension based on the map in DuPreez & Carruthers, which with some imagination gets as far west as Grootvadersbos.

But the lack of fusion of the dorsal granules over the vertebrae, the uniform colouration, and the apparent lack of which blotches below, suggest that this cannot be a Strawberry.

More pictures (and a recording of the call if possible) will be very nice!

Belly-fold

OK, loaded another pic, top view. It is all I have for this one. Have a look at the right front leg on the front facing pic, you can see some belly skin in a fold under him...

I see no reason to change the

I see no reason to change the ID: thanks

Habitat

You say Fynbos.
But the Googlemap shows tall trees - are these Forest species or aliens?

Might this species like alien habitats, or might this have been forest in the past? There wood have been forest in the Keurboom River kloof, but I doubt it out here.

With a face like that I did

With a face like that I did not dare turn it over... (Light cream/spotted perhaps?) Was collected and brought home by hikers, I did not see the actual location. Three was seen on the same rainy day, roughly same location. That valley is overrun with wattle, the next one to the mountain just about pristine. (I know of one huge wattle that I intend to debark) Still some almonds/boekenhout/bloubessies/etc left between the dam and the river, but plenty wattle. First observation for me, but older people seemed to know it well.

Rather not speculate on the

Rather not speculate on the belly: next time turn it over: it wont bite (I have heard gibbosus scream like a human baby: quite impressive!) and take a pic.

Did anyone hear them? they do an impressive chorus when it rains.

Keep an eye open (ear would be better) when it rains: would love to know the interplay between the species: how tied are they to vegetation (Forest vs Fynbos) or is it more geology (sandstone vs shale) or soil (organic vs mineral, or acidic (peats) versus alkaline (leaf litter)) that determines their fine-scale distibution?

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