‘Toad’ ally freaky for frogs: The Bush Squeaker
This column features everything you need to know about frogs. The Bush Squeaker is a small, stocky frog.
On any rainy day in the Highway Area, you’ll hear this little frog, the Bush Squeaker (Arthroleptis wahlbergii).
What do they look like? It’s a small, stocky frog, with adults growing up to minuscule lengths of 2cm-2,5cm. Their colour does vary. Some are a greyish/brown colour, while others are more of a reddish brown colour.
If you were to look carefully at this frog, you would notice that it has an hourglass pattern on its back. It has a short, fairly pointed snout, and it has a black band on each side of its head.
Are they poisonous? No.
What do they sound like? Like their name suggests. In overcast and rainy weather, you’ll hear short, high-pitched, whistle-like calls coming from the bush. You would have heard it just about everywhere in the Highway and Durban area, and you’ve probably never had an idea that it was actually a frog.
Also read: ‘Toad’ally freaky for frogs
Most people generally think it’s an insect. Upon hearing the call, realising that it’s a frog, people are usually shocked. Listen out for their short whistles on the next rainy day.
Where do they live?
They generally live in the leaf litter on forest floors. Their colouration allows them to blend in brilliantly into this substrate, and they even breed in the leaf-litter, rather than in water. However, they are frequently heard in suburban gardens.
They may venture out of the forests into adjacent grasslands, but their preferred habitat is definitely forest.
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