In southern Africa there are 14 species of rain frog. These are comical looking amphibians with their short limbs and rotund bodies. When observed from the front they appear to have a frown across their face. The bushveld rain frog is a common species but only found in southern Africa where it inhabits the savanna, open grasslands and temperate forests.
Bushveld rain frog facts
1. Predator intimidation
If attacked the bushveld rain frog will inflate its body to intimidate predators and to lodge itself in its burrow. This behaviour gives it its Afrikaans name, blaasop, meaning “puff up”.
2. Egg laying
Unlike most frogs the rain frog does not need pools of water for breeding. Instead the mating pair, whilst coupled, will dig backwards 30 to 40 cm into the soil. The female will then lay her eggs in the burrow.
3. Bushveld rain frog copulation
Bushveld rain frogs have rounded bodies, short legs and the female is larger than the male, all of which make mating difficult. The solution is for the female to secrete a glue-like substance which secures the male in position. They are stuck like this until the female secretes a reversing agent.
4. Over wintering
They spend the winter underground in a burrow. But once the spring/summer rains come and soften the ground they will dig themselves out.
5. Digging adaptations
The bushveld rain frog is a specialist digger. They have short and stout limbs with webbed back feet like spades and a hardened protrusion on the heel of their hind foot called a metatarsal tubercle. These adaptations enable the frog to dig backwards some 50 cm into the ground.
Video demonstration the bushveld rain frog’s (Breviceps adspersus) ability through adaptation to dig backwards.
Video length: 2 minutes 32 seconds. Video source: nobodyfrog
6. Bushveld rain frog body shape
They are short and rounded with a small head, so much so it is hard to differentiate it from its body. This gives rise to the scientific name, Breviceps which means “short head”.
7. Eggs
The female will lay 45 eggs in a chamber under the ground. These eggs are in a larger liquid filled jelly case which is home to the tadpoles when they hatch. They develop in this jelly feeding on a yolk sack until they develop into 3 to 6 cm froglets.
Discover more
Another incredible amphibian of Africa is the foam-nest tree frog,
they are able to spend the majority of its time out of water due to their ability to reflect heat by turning white, secreting a wax-like substance to stop dehydration and, conserving water by concentrating its urine.
find out all about it in our species profile.
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If attacked the bushveld rain frog will inflate its body to intimidate predators and to lodge itself in its burrow. This behaviour gives it its Afrikaans name, blaasop, meaning “puff up”.
The bushveld rain frog will spend the winter underground in a burrow. But once the spring/summer rains come and soften the ground they will dig themselves out.
The female bushveld rain frog will lay 45 eggs in a chamber under the ground. These eggs are in a larger liquid filled jelly case which is home to the tadpoles when they hatch. They develop in this jelly feeding on a yolk sack until they develop into 3 to 6 cm froglets.
Unlike most frogs the bushveld rain frog does not need pools of water for breeding. Instead the mating pair, whilst coupled, will dig backwards 30 to 40 cm into the soil. The female will then lay her eggs in the burrow.
The bushveld rain frog is short and rounded with a small head, so much so it is hard to differentiate it from its body. This gives rise to the scientific name, Breviceps which means “short head”.
The bushveld rain frog is a specialist digger. They have short and stout limbs with webbed back feet like spades and a hardened protrusion on the heel of their hind foot called a metatarsal tubercle. These adaptations enable the frog to dig backwards some 50 cm into the ground.
Bushveld rain frogs have rounded bodies, short legs and the female is larger than the male, all of which make mating difficult. The solution is for the female to secrete a glue-like substance which secures the male in position. They are stuck like this until the female secretes a reversing agent.
