Shovel-nosed frogs belong to the genus Hemisus, the only genus in the family Hemisotidae. They are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and three species occur in South Africa. These are among the most peculiar looking of all frogs.
They have round, bloated-looking bodies and short legs, with sharply pointed little heads and sharp, chisel-shaped snouts. The largest species, like Hemisus guttatus, grow to a length of about 8 cm. These are burrowing frogs that use their snouts to dig into the soil where they spend most of their lives, in places near water. They use their muscular hindlimbs to push themselves forwards and into the hole being dug by the snout, while their powerful forelimbs thrust the soil aside. During the rainy season females lay their eggs in a chamber underground, and remain with them until they hatch. After hatching, the female may carry the tadpoles to water on her back and hindlimbs. There the tadpoles continue to grow and develop until metamorphosing into froglets.
The most widespread and common species in South Africa are the Spotted Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus guttatus) which occurs mostly in KwaZulu-Natal and eastern Mpumalanga provinces and is classified as ‘Vulnerable’ (facing a high risk of extinction), mainly because of habitat fragmentation and degradation; and the Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus marmoratus) which is widespread in southern Africa, including the north-eastern parts of South Africa.
A third species, the Guinea Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus guineensis), is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, but its range extends only peripherally into South Africa in northern Limpopo Province.
Text by Dr Michael F. Bates
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