Hemisotidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
Shovel-nosed frogs
The family Hemisotidae is made up of shovel-nosed, globose-bodied frogs within a single genus, Hemisus. Their hard pointed snouts, strong forelimbs and hindlimbs, and loss of a sternum (convergent in Rhinophrynus) allow these frogs to be quick and efficient headfirst burrowers in tropical savanna of sub-Saharan Africa. They lay eggs underground in the plains near the end of the dry season. Nests are flooded and tadpoles then swim to temporary pools of water to finish their development. Tadpoles also wriggle onto the parent’s backs to be transported to water.
Hemisus marmoratus
Photo by Robert C. Drewes
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Genus Hemisus (9 species)
Hemisus barotseensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus brachydactylus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus guineensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus guttatus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus marmoratus species account photos no range maps sounds Hemisus microscaphus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus olivaceus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus perreti no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hemisus wittei no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2008. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2008).
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