habitat_narrative
Freshwater (=Inland waters)|Terrestrial
This species inhabits Coastal Bushveld-Grassland and Moist Upland Grassland in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces. It has been found also in degraded forest (Trimble and van Aarde 2014). Afrixalus spinifrons spinifrons breeds in standing water (including dams and ponds), sedge beds and grassy wetlands. Afrixalus spinifrons intermedius occurs in marshes, dams, floodplains and riverbanks and females and juveniles of the subspecies can be found sunbathing in arum lilies during the day (Pickersgill 1996, 2007). Species in this genus are commonly referred to as Leaf-folding Frogs owing to their unique method of oviposition, whereby between 20 and 50 eggs are deposited along a leaf margin, which is sealed by the male to create a leaf nest. Tadpoles emerge after about five days, drop into the water below and complete metamorphosis after approximately six weeks (Pickersgill et al. 2004). Breeding occurs between August and February for A. s. spinifrons and September and January for A. s. intermedius (Pickersgill et al. 2004). Males call from emergent vegetation, usually close to the water’s surface, in choruses of between 4 and 20 individuals between sunset and 03:00 (Backwell and Passmore 1991).