Hyperolius marmoratus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The marbled reed frog or painted reed frog (Hyperolius marmoratus) is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae found in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Lesotho, Kenya, Zambia, and Tanzania.
It occurs in a wide range of natural habitats, including forests, savannas, shrublands, grasslands, rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, and intermittent freshwater lakes. It coexists well with humans, and is also found in pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas. Its range appears to be expanding to the winter rainfall area of the Western Cape.
Species in the genus Hyperolius may display different colouration and patterns during day and night. Daylight colours are usually pale and drab, while their night-time appearance is colourful and eye-catching – see images below. Wikipedia →
Recording0:09
South Africa · 2022
© Adam Welz · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording1:01
South Africa · 2023
© Ryan van Huyssteen · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:28
Mozambique · 2024
© Nick Helme · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Reed Frog sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 412 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 22 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and March
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Reed Frog in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against about 30% in July and August, the lowest months. Those are among iSimangaliso Wetland Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in July.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Painted Reed Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Painted Reed Frog sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 30%) and uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Hyperolius
The closest relatives of the Painted Reed Frog that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (genus Hyperolius, Reed Frogs) are Tinker Reed Frog (about 40%), Water Lily Reed Frog (about 30%) and argus reed frog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Painted Reed Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (412 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
