Common Name: Eastern Ghost Frog
Scientific Name: Heleophryne orientalis
Family: Heleophrynidae – Ghost Frog family
Location: South Africa
Female Size: 1.8 inches (46 mm)
Male Size: 1.4 inches (35 mm)
The Eastern Ghost Frog lives in the forest areas surrounding the mountain fynbos heathlands. They live by fast moving, cold mountain streams. The mating season coincides with the summer rains from mid-October to mid-December. The male Eastern Ghost Frogs call out from day to night in hopes of attracting a female frog to mate with. Once the female frog arrives, the male frog grasps her from behind in amplexus. Then, the female frog lays her eggs under rocks near the stream and the male frog fertilizes them. The female frogs lay between 120 – 190 eggs. After mating, both parents leave, providing no parental care for their offpsring.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Eastern Ghost Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. This is due to their good sized range and large population. There are currently no major threats to the species.