Hyperolius marmoratus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Reed Frog sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 28 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Reed Frog in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October, the lowest month. That is one of Kruger National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 110 mm in February.
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.
6th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Painted Reed Frog sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 50%), Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 30%) and uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Painted Reed Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Kruger National Park (118 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.
