Amphibians are abundant wildlife in Zambia, found in protected and unprotected areas. Wildlife in Zambia consists of a diverse range of over 1,600 animal species. This includes 240 are mammals, 153 reptiles, 78 amphibians, 409 fish and 753 bird species.
Amphibians get their name from the Greek word amphibios, which means “to live a double life”. Most of the species of amphibians, are frogs with a few toad species.
This is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, more commonly referred to as running frogs.
Common Bubbling or Senegal Frog (Kassina senegalensis)
Kuvangu Kassina (Kassina kuvangensis)
De Witte’s Clicking Frog (Kassinula Wittei)
Very large frogs that have a deep booming croak. Other amphibians are part of their diet.
African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus)
Lesser or Edible Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus edulis)
Catequero Bullfrog (Tomopterna cryptotis)
Marbled Sand Frog (Tomopterna marmorata)
Rough Sand Frog (Tomopterna tuberculosa)
They have enlarged tubercles on the feet, which help them burrow, feet first.
Bocage’s Tree Frog (Leptopelis bocagei)
Cinnamon Tree Frog (Leptopelis cynnamomeus)
Cryptic tree Frog (Leptopelis parbocagii)
African Ornate Frog (Hildebrandtia ornata)
Groove Crowned Frog (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis)
Fuelleborn’s Stream Frog or Long-toed Grass Frog (Strongylopus fuelleborni)
Striped Stream Frog (Strongylopus fasciatus)
They have short claws on their feet, which they use to tear apart their food.
Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis poweri)
Peters’ Platanna (Xenopus petersii)
Muller’s Platanna (Xenopus muelleri)
They breed in temporary water bodies such as shallow pools or puddles.
Natal Dwarf or Snoring puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus natalensis)
Mababe Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus mababiensis)
Dwarf Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus parvulus)
Rungwe Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus rungwensis)
Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus
Grey Foam Nest Tree Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)
Boettger’s Dainty Frog (Cacosternum boettgeri)
Angola or Common River Frog (Amietia angolensis)
Darling’s White-lipped Frog (Amnirana darlingi)
Galam White-lipped Frog (Amnirana galamensis)
Lemaire’s White-lipped Frog (Amnirana lemairei)
Common Rain Frog (Breviceps adspersus)
Mozambique Rain Frog (Breviceps mossambicus)
Power’s Rain Frog (Breviceps poweri)
Banded Rubber Frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus)
Spotted Rubber Frog (Phrynomantis affinis)
Angolan Reed Frog (Hyperolius parallelus)
Benguella Long Reed Frog (Hyperolius benguellensis)402f1d402f1d402f1d402f1d
Bocage’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius bocagei)
Cinnamon-bellied Reed Frog (Hyperolius cinnamomeoventris)
Kafue Reed Frog (Hyperolius pyrrhodictyon)
Long Nosed Reed Frog (Hyperolius nasutus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus angolensis)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus aposematicus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus argentovittis)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus bitaeniatus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus pyrrhodictyon)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus marginatus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus melanoleucus)
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus rhodoscelis)
Five-striped Reed Frog (Hyperolius quinquevittatus)
Five-striped Reed Frog (Hyperolius quinquevittatus mertensis)
Kivu Reed Frog (Hyperolius kivuensis)
Robust Long Reed Frog (Hyperolius viridis)
Steindachner’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius steindachneri)
Tinker Reed Frog (Hyperolius tuberilinguis)
Variable Reed Frog (Hyperolius pictus)
Hyperolius kachalolae
Hyperolius mariae
Hyperolius platyceps major
402f1dAnsorge’s Ridged Frog (Ptychadena ansorgii)
Grandison’s Ridged Frog (Ptychadena grandisonae)
Grassland Ridged Frog (Ptychadena porosissima)
Guibe’s Ridged Frog (Ptychadena guibei)
Mapacha Ridged Frog (Ptychadena mapacha)
Mozambique Ridged Frog (Ptychadena mossambica)
Mascarene Grass Frog (Ptychadena mascareniensis)
Plain Grass Frog (Ptychadena anchietae)402f1d
Rough Ridged Frog (Ptychadena bunoderma)
Sharp-nosed Ridged Frog (Ptychadena oxyrhynchus)
Small Ridged or Dwarf Grass Frog (Ptychadena taenioscelis)
Spotted Ridged Frog (Ptychadena subpunctata)
Udzungwa Ridged Frog (Ptychadena uzungwensis)
Upemba Ridged Frog (Ptychadena upembae)
Ptychadena perplicata
Ptychadena obscura
Ptychadena keilingi
Barotse Shovel-snout Frog (Hemisus barotseensis)
Marbled Snout-burrower Frog (Hemisus marmoratus)
Guinea Snout-burrower Frog (Hemisus guineensis)
De Witte’s Snout-burrower (Hemisus wittei)
402f1dDe Witte’s Spiny Reed Frog (Afrixalus wittei)
Four-striped Tree-folding Frog (Afrizalus quadrivittatus)
Snoring Spiny Reed Frog (Afrixalus crotalus)
They have distinctive high-pitched calls.
Plain Squeaker (Arthroleptis xenochirus)
Common Squeaker (Arthroleptis stenodactylus)
Dwarf Squeaker (Arthroleptis xenodactylus)
Beira Dwarf toad (Poyntonophrynus beiranus)
Dark-sided Toad (Mertensophryne melanopleura)
Tata Toad (Mertensophryne taitana)
Flat-backed Toad (Amietophrynus maculatus)
Guttaral Toad (Amietophrynus gutturalis)
Kisolo Toad (Sclerophrys kisoloensis)
Nyika Dwarf Toad (Mertensophryne nyikae)
Red Toad (Schismaderma carens)
Yellow Swamp Toad (Amietophrynus lemairii)
Merten’s Striped Toad (Sclerophrys pusilla)
Sclerophrys fuliginata
Sclerophrys garmani
Sclerophrys lemairii
Sclerophrys urunguensis
Mertensophryne taitana
Poyntonophrynus vertebralis
Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti
Inaccuracy or incompleteness
Please let us know if the list is inaccurate or incomplete.