About Hyperolius pusillus (Cope, 1862)
Hyperolius pusillus (Cope, 1862), commonly known as the waterlily reed frog or dwarf reed frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is a very common species found across eastern and southern Africa, where it occupies a range of different environments. Its natural habitats are open savanna, bush land, and grassland. Breeding occurs in shallow pans, vleis, open swamps, and dams that have floating vegetation like water lilies. This species can resemble individuals of the larger Hyperolius argus, which is also native to eastern and southern Africa. Confirmed populations of Hyperolius pusillus in eastern and southern Africa are found in southern Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, northern Malawi, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania. The species may also range into far western Kenya and parts of Uganda. Different populations of this frog show distinct coloration patterns. For reproduction, male Hyperolius pusillus call from floating vegetation, which differs from Hyperolius viridis, whose males call from wet grassland. Females lay egg batches of 20 to 120 eggs at a time among floating plants. The eggs of this species are light green. Tadpoles are green when they first hatch, and develop into green-brown individuals with black tails as they grow.
