{{Short description|Species of amphibian}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2013 |title=''Hyperolius argus'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T56112A3035065 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56112A3035065.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | image = AlTreeFrogs_01.jpg | image_caption = ''Hyperolius argus'' females | taxon = Hyperolius argus | authority = Peters, 1854 | synonyms = ''Hyperolius flavoviridis'' <small>Peters, 1854</small><br /> ''Hyperolius tettensis'' <small>Peters, 1854</small><br /> ''Hyperolius cinctiventris'' <small>Cope, 1862</small><br /> ''Rappia platycephalus'' <small>Pfeffer, 1893</small><br /> ''Hyperolius ahli'' <small>Loveridge, 1936</small><br /> ''Hyperolius böckii'' <small>Koesen, 1968</small> }}
'''''Hyperolius argus''''', known under common names '''Argus reed frog''', '''Argus sedge frog''', and '''Boror reed frog''' (and many others) is a hyperolid frog found in the eastern coastal plain of Africa from southern Somalia through Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal in eastern South Africa.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /><ref name=frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Hyperoliidae/Hyperolius/Hyperolius-argus |title=''Hyperolius argus'' Peters, 1854 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2014 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=3 July 2014}}</ref>
==Description== ''Hyperolius argus'' is sexually dichromatic: adult males are usually green, and females usually reddish-brown with large white spots. The coloration and pattern show geographic variation.<ref name=AmphibiaWeb>{{cite web |url=http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Hyperolius&where-species=argus&account=amphibiaweb |title=''Hyperolius argus '' |year=2014 |work=AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application] |publisher=Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb |access-date=3 July 2014}}</ref>
Both females and males metamorphose to a solid green color without spots—the color of adult males. Under experimental conditions, the time from metamorphosis to the change to a female color pattern took about two months; for a male, the time from metamorphosis to the development of vocal sacs, with spontaneous vocalization and aggression, was about three months.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hayes|first1=Tyrone B.|last2=Menendez|first2=Karen P.|title=The effect of sex steroids on primary and secondary sex differentiation in the sexually dichromatic reedfrog (''Hyperolius argus'': Hyperolidae) from the Arabuko Sokoke forest of Kenya|journal=General and Comparative Endocrinology|date=August 1999|volume=115|issue=2|pages=188–199|doi=10.1006/gcen.1999.7321|pmid=10417232}}</ref>
The females attach the eggs to vegetation below the surface of the water (possibly caused by raising water level). The female can lay in total about 200 eggs in clusters of about 30 eggs.<ref name=AmphibiaWeb/>
==Habitat and conservation== ''Hyperolius argus'' is a common species living near water in low elevation dense, humid savanna and grassland. Breeding takes place in vegetated shallow pans, vleis and marshes, typically in temporary water.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
Even though this species does not face major threats, it is affected by urban expansion, agricultural intensification, and introduced species (bass).<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Hyperolius argus Al-ReedFrogs 01.jpg|Female reed frogs of different patterns Image:Hyperolius argus Al-ReedFrogs 02.jpg|Male reed frog </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1882659}}
Argus Category:Amphibians of Kenya Category:Amphibians of Malawi Category:Amphibians of Mozambique Category:Amphibians of Somalia Category:Amphibians of South Africa Category:Amphibians of Tanzania Category:Amphibians of Zimbabwe Category:Amphibians described in 1854 Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters