Gold Spiny Reed Frog

Also known as the golden leaf-folding frog, this very tiny, slim amphibian, equipped with adhesive disks on each digit, is a good climber. Its back may be covered with tiny dark spines, hence one of its common names; this feature is common in frogs in the south of the range but rare in the north.  Breeding males take up a position among reeds or on water-lily leaves in pools or vleis (temporary, rain-filled hollows) and call to females. The female frog lays a small batch of eggs on a leaf above or below water level. Once the eggs are fertilized, the leaf is folded over and the edges are glued together with sticky secretions from the female's oviduct. When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles emerge from the leaf nest into the water, where they complete their development.