I was pruning back the vegetation threatening to engulf the aloes this morning when my attention was drawn to an unusual frog swimming in our pool. It had noticeable stripes and sported particularly long legs.
C rushed home to get her chart of Eastern Cape frogs from which we easily identified it as a Striped Stream Frog. It was scooped out of the salty water and, having given a whopping long jump, was ‘pinned’ down on the grass by the net of the scoop and dowsed with fresh water while I rushed indoors for my camera.
The invaluable A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa by Louis du Preez and Vincent Carruthers provided more interesting information about its natural habitat: open grassy areas near dams, ponds or streams in forest, thicket, grassland and savanna. It also occurs in parks and gardens and are – as we have discovered – agile jumpers.
Something Over Tea 