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Painted reed frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
The Painted Reed Frog is a strikingly beautiful, tiny African amphibian displaying endless color morphs. Highly active, it rests on tall reed stalks and thrives in an upright, well-lit paludarium.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Hyperoliidae
Genus:Hyperolius
Species:Hyperolius marmoratus
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 85 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Ambient temperature
24 - 28 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Hyperolius marmoratus, commonly known as the painted reed frog, is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, including South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Malawi. It primarily inhabits emergent vegetation in permanent and temporary wetlands, marshes, pans, riverbanks, and farm dams. It is an exceptionally adaptable species that can also be found in residential gardens, often seen sleeping on tall reeds, papyrus, and lily pads during the day.
Taxonomy and Genetics: It belongs to the family Hyperoliidae. This species is famous for its extreme phenotypic diversity; numerous subspecies and regional color forms (such as marmoratus, taeniatus, and broadleyi) have been described based on adult coloration. Genetic analysis shows that it exists as a complex of closely related populations with high levels of gene flow and hybridization in geographic contact zones, making its classification dynamic.
Behavior and Habits: Painted reed frogs are nocturnal. During the day, they conserve moisture by pressing their bodies flat against reed stems or leaves and tucking in their bright orange limbs to present a neutral color to predators. At night, males gather on reeds and call aggressively to attract females, producing a loud, high-pitched metallic whistle. They are excellent climbers and capable jumpers, quickly leaping away when disturbed.
Morphology: This is a small frog, with adults reaching an average length of 2.5 to 3.5 cm. It has a slender body, a rounded snout, and conspicuous adhesive toe pads that allow it to scale vertical surfaces with ease. The coloration of adults is incredibly diverse, displaying complex patterns of stripes, spots, or marbled markings in shades of red, yellow, black, and white. The underbelly is usually white to bright orange-yellow.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically oriented terrarium (paludarium) of at least 60-80 liters for a small group. The enclosure should feature a shallow water area (5-10 cm deep) and a land area planted with live broad-leaved plants (e.g., Pothos, Sansevieria) and climbing branches. Mesh ventilation screens are critical to maintain airflow and prevent stagnant air, which can cause bacterial skin infections.
Lighting and Heating: Maintain a daytime temperature gradient of 24-28°C (75-82°F) with a basking spot at 30°C (86°F) using a protected dome light. Nighttime temperatures can drop to 20-22°C (68-72°F). A low-output UVB bulb (2.0 or 5.0) is highly recommended on a 12-hour cycle to facilitate calcium metabolism and enhance their natural coloration.
Humidity and Hydration: Relative humidity should be kept at 50-60% during the day, rising to 80-90% at night through daily misting. Use dechlorinated water or reverse osmosis water to avoid mineral buildup on the glass. The water in the aquatic section must be treated with a reptile-safe water conditioner and partially changed weekly.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed a variety of small, live insects such as hatchling crickets, fruit flies (Drosophila), bean beetles, and small roaches. Dust the feeder insects with a high-quality calcium supplement twice a week and a multivitamin with vitamin A once a week to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
Compatibility: Peaceful when kept in groups of their own species in a sufficiently large enclosure. Males may engage in vocal competition during the breeding season but will not harm each other. Avoid cohabitation with other amphibian or reptile species to prevent cross-contamination of skin toxins.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to bacterial skin rot from dirty water or poor airflow, Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) from a lack of calcium and UVB, and dehydration if the environment drys out. If the frog appears lethargic or develops skin lesions, seek immediate assistance from an exotics veterinarian.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Hyperolius marmoratus, commonly known as the painted reed frog, is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, including South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Malawi. It primarily inhabits emergent vegetation in permanent and temporary wetlands, marshes, pans, riverbanks, and farm dams. It is an exceptionally adaptable species that can also be found in residential gardens, often seen sleeping on tall reeds, papyrus, and lily pads during the day.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsNorth AmericaAfrica and Madagascar
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 4.3 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 4.3 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 4.3 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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