Frogs & Toads of Ghana
SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana homepage
Amphibians homepage | Countries homepage
Introduction
Ghana is home to 84 known amphibian species: 78 frogs, 5 toads and a caecilian. Ghana does not have salamanders or newts. With your support, SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana will ensure that every one of these species survives long into the future!
All photos on this page were taken by SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger on his September 2011 trip to Ghana, unless otherwise noted. Thanks to Gilbert Adum for choosing the great frogging locations! You can use the pictures on this page for non-commercial purposes so long as you reference the images as courtesy of savethefrogs.com (with a hyperlink being appreciated!).
Amietophrynus maculatus
This nice little toad jumped by while eating dinner at Ellie's in Elmina, near Cape Coast.
Amietophryne regularis - Common African Toad
These toads are widespread across the northern half of Africa. I found this one at the bottom of the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, an area we hope to turn into the Atewa Hills National Park.
Arthroleptis sp.
The Arthroleptis species complex comprises at least 5 similar species difficult to differentiate with the naked eye. I found this one in the Arboretum of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. The frogs in the Arboretum are under threat from illegal farming and logging that destroys their habitat. One goal of the KNUST Chapter of SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana is to get the University's administrations assistance in stopping the illegal activities.
Conraua derooi - Togo Slippery Frog
The critically endangered Togo Slippery Frog is known to live on only two streams in the world, both in Atewa Forest Range Reserve. The frogs are threatened by proposed mountaintop removal mining that would clog their streams, and by poachers from nearby villages who eat the frogs. The Togo Slippery Frog is unlikely to survive without a concerted effort on our part and yours to protect the Reserve as a Ghana's 6th national park (Atewa Hills National Park), and to educate the locals and train them to grow alternative food sources and earn money through innovative means such as beekeeping and mushroom farming. The Togo Slippery Frog is highly aquatic, seldom venturing far from water. They are amazing swimmers, and will dart underwater at the first sign of danger.
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis - African Tiger Frog
This African Tiger Frog was calling along the shores of Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana's only natural lake. Safe from humans in this area of Ghana, the frogs are threatened in the northern regions of the country, and in Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin, where they are collected by the thousands and sold dried in the markets, where people buy them and eat them whole.
Hyperolius concolor
We saw lots of metamorphs like this hanging out in the vegetation alongside a small pond at the edge of Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana's only natural lake. The lake created by a meterorite.
This adult was nearby:
The frog below was at the base of the Atewa Hills:
Leptopeles spiritusnoctis
These frogs like streams. They make a cool "peep" sound, which fills the nighttime air of Ankasa National Park.
This is his nyctitating membrane, a frog's version of an eyelid, which comes upwards from the bottom of the eye:
Phrynobatrachus latifrons
This frog was hopping near a puddle in Ankasa National Park.
Phrynobatrachus alleni
We found a few of these leaf-litter frogs at the Bamboo Cathedral in Ankasa National Park.
Phrynobatrachus calcaratus
I found this beautiful juvenile frog in the Arboretum on the KNUST Kumasi campus.
Phrynobatrachus plicatus
We only found one individual of this species in Ankasa National Park.
Ptychadena longirostris
A lesson in aerodynamics, the Ptychadena frogs are amazing long-jumpers. In this photo I'm demonstrating how to properly hold a small frog: use your thumb and index finger to gently grasp the frog between its knees and ankles. This makes it difficult for a frog to get free, and is also safe for the frog (as opposed to squeezing its abdomen and crushing it, or grabbing a single limb, from which it could hyperextend itself while using the other three limbs to attempt its escape). Holding a frog in this manner also makes it easy to look at nearly the entire frog, and is optimal for swabbing a frog for chytrid fungus as well. A large frog can be held by forming an "o" shape by touching the tips of the thumb and index finger and wrapping that around the waist of the large frog.
Ptychadena mascarensis
This awesome rocket frog was hanging out in the thick vegetation near the shores of Lake Bosomtwe.
Kassina species - Awaiting ID
We found these Kassina frogs in an amazing frog-filled swamp in Ankasa National Park.
Hyperolius - awaiting ID
We found this beautiful frog in the Bamboo Cathedral of Ankasa National Park.
Atewa Frog - Awaiting ID
We found this frog at the base of the Atewa Hills.
Did you check out the SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana page?
These fantastic photos were brought to you courtesy of SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana, West Africa's first original nonprofit organization dedicated to amphibian conservation. Learn more and find out how you can help on the SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana homepage. Thanks for helping us save Ghana's frogs!
Please donate to SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana
SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana was founded in September 2011: we need your financial support to kick the organization into high gear, and spread the SAVE THE FROGS! message across the country...and outwards across the African continent. Please place a tax-deductible contribution to SAVE THE FROGS! USA and then send a note to contact@savethefrogs.com asking us to direct the donation towards SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana. Thanks!
Together we can SAVE GHANA'S FROGS!
Website design, photos & content by Kerry Kriger unless otherwise noted.
Copyright © 2008-2011 SAVE THE FROGS!TM All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use
SAVE THE FROGS! is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and
SAVE THE FROGS! is a registered trademark.
Ghana Frog Photos