The knocking sand frog (''Tomopterna krugerensis''), also known as sandveld pyxie or Kruger burrowing frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family

Pyxicephalidae The Pyxicephalidae are a family of frogs currently found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the Eocene, the taxon '' Thaumastosaurus'' lived in Europe. Classification The Pyxicephalidae contain two subfamilies, with a total of 12 genera. This ...

. It is found in southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, northern South Africa, and Eswatini. This species was discovered during the evening of 23 October 1973 in South Africa's

Kruger National Park Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends from north to south and from ...

. Two weeks after heavy rain fell in the area, large numbers were found around the Machayi and Mathlakuza Pans in the northeastern part of the Park near the Mozambican frontier.

Description

Males measure and females in snout–vent length. It is a stout frog with short, broad head. The fore limbs are also short and stout, whereas the hind limbs are longer than body when extended. Fingers have no webbing whereas the toes have some webbing. The tympanum is present but can be indistinct. The dorsum is typically cream-beige, but may vary from very pale grey-brown to a mid-brown. There are many irregular, khaki-brown markings, outlined with dark-brown to black. There are also bright orange tubercles scattered over entire dorsum, each with a black rim. The venter is immaculate white. ''Tomopterna krugerensis'' is not morphologically distinguishable from '' Tomopterna cryptotis'' and ''

Tomopterna tandyi Tandy's sand frog (''Tomopterna tandyi'') is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and south-western Angola, and from inland Tanzania and Kenya. It probably occurs more widely within and b ...

'', but the male advertisement call is distinct: a slowly repetitive, percussive "knock" or "cluck", almost like a

metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...

Habitat and conservation

Knocking sand frog is a

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

species that seems to prefer sandy soils. It can also survive in disturbed areas. Breeding takes place in temporary waterbodies (both large and small), including

pans Cookware and bakeware is food preparation equipment, such as cooking pots, pans, baking sheets etc. used in kitchens. Cookware is used on a stove or range cooktop, while bakeware is used in an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookwar ...

vlei A vlei () is a shallow minor lake, mostly of a seasonal or intermittent nature. It even might refer to seasonal ponds or marshy patches where frogs and similar marsh dwellers breed. Commonly, vleis vary in their extent, or even in the presence ...

s, and flooded grassland. It is an adaptable species facing no significant threats and occurring in many protected areas—including the

, after which it is named.

References

krugerensis Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Angola Amphibians of Botswana Amphibians of Eswatini Amphibians of Mozambique Amphibians of Namibia Amphibians of South Africa Amphibians of Zimbabwe Amphibians described in 1975 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Ranoidea-stub