Hyperolius pusillus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Hyperolius pusillus (common names: waterlily reed frog and various variants thereof, dwarf reed frog) is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found throughout diverse environments in eastern and southern Africa.
It is a very common frog. Its natural habitats are open savanna, bush land and grassland. Breeding takes place in shallow pans, vleis, open swamps, and dams with floating vegetation such as water lilies. Hyperolius pusillus can resemble members of the larger Hyperolius argus species, which is also native to eastern and southern Africa.
Hyperolius pusillus is found in both eastern and southern Africa. Key populations are found in southern Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. There are also populations in northern Malawi and Botswana. The species may also extend into the far west of Kenya and portions of Uganda.
Hyperolius pusillus is also found in Eswatini, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania. Different populations display different coloration. The different populations vary in color. They are generally green, with darker specks covering their bodies, and different populations display patterns such as an hourglass... Wikipedia →
Recording0:06
Tanzania · 2009
© probreviceps · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:12
South Africa · 2022
© magdastlucia · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:13
South Africa · 2025
© Kurt van Wyk · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown Aquarium, Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Water Lily Reed Frog sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 107 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 22 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Water Lily Reed Frog in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in July, the lowest month. Those are among iSimangaliso Wetland Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Water Lily Reed Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Water Lily Reed Frog sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Same genus: Hyperolius
The closest relatives of the Water Lily Reed Frog that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (genus Hyperolius, Reed Frogs) are Painted Reed Frog (about 50%), Tinker Reed Frog (about 40%) 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 Water Lily Reed Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (107 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.
