Discover the Fascinating World of Black and Purple Mountain Tree Frogs

Located in the tropical regions of Africa, the black and purple mountain tree frog is a species that has adapted to thrive in a variety of environments. This remarkable frog is known for its striking appearance, with a black body and purple legs, and its unique habitat preferences.

One of the most interesting aspects of this species is its ability to be easily translocated. In fact, a breeding population was established in Pigeon Valley in Durban by transferring several adults from Bluff Nature Reserve (Alexander 1990). This shows just how resilient this species can be when introduced to new environments.

The black and purple mountain tree frog has also been known to inhabit relatively altered environments such as golf courses and parks. Its ability to adapt to human-altered landscapes is a testament to its remarkable flexibility.

In terms of reproduction, the white eggs and their jelly capsules are 1.5 mm and 4 mm in diameter, respectively (Wager 1965). The eggs are enclosed in a gelatinous cake, which is attached to reed or grass stems above the waterline (Poynton 1964) before hatching into tadpoles.

Males of this species exhibit high call-site fidelity, returning to the same site on successive nights unless disturbed by predators or displaced by competitors (Telford 1982). Despite defending their call sites from conspecific males, they do not use these sites as oviposition sites (Telford 1982).

The breeding habits of this species are fascinating. Males leave breeding choruses in the early hours of the morning and ascend into trees surrounding the breeding site, returning to the breeding site the following evening (Passmore and Carruthers 1995). The spacing of calling males is maintained by vocal aggression and physical combat (Pallet and Passmore 1988).

In Durban, calling starts at the beginning of September and continues to the middle of April (Alexander 1987), while in summer they breed over a prolonged period, forming dense choruses (Pallet and Passmore 1988). In the dry season, adults aestivate in secluded places, often entering houses.

The black and purple mountain tree frog is an easily recognisable species with an unmistakable call. Its distribution extends from northern KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, and Mpumalanga to inland areas as far as Nelspruit (2530BD). It is restricted to the eastern parts of the atlas region, with its southern limit just entering Eastern Cape Province in the region of Port Edward (3130AA, AB).

This species has also been recorded in eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Tanzania to Kenya (Poynton and Broadley 1987). Overall, the black and purple mountain tree frog is a remarkable species that continues to fascinate scientists and nature enthusiasts alike.

Black and purple mountain tree frog