{{Short description|Species of amphibian in the family Hyperoliidae endemic to South Africa}} {{Speciesbox | name = Pickersgill's reed frog | image = Hyperolius pickersgilli male 1.jpg | image_caption = ''Hyperolius pickersgilli'' (male striped form) | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. |author2=South African Frog Re-assessment Group |collaboration=SA-FRoG |date=2016 |title=''Hyperolius pickersgilli'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T10644A77165927 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T10644A77165927.en |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Hyperolius pickersgilli | authority = Raw, 1982<ref name="Raw 1982"/> | synonyms = }} '''Pickersgill's reed frog''' ('''''Hyperolius pickersgilli'''''), also known as '''Avoca reed frog''', is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to South Africa.<ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021" /><ref name=Frost/><ref name="African Amphibians"/> It occurs in the coastal lowlands of KwaZulu-Natal between Sezela and St Lucia.<ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021" />

==Description== Adult males grow to usually no more than {{convert|22|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} whereas adult female can approach {{convert|30|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length. The snout is acutely pointed. The tympanum is hidden. The toes are webbed. There are two colour phases. Juveniles and males are dorsally light to dark brown. There is a dark-edged, white to silver canthal stripe that passes round the snout, over the eyes, and then continues dorso-laterally to the groin. The feet and concealed parts of the limbs are yellow, while the throat and the ventrum are yellowish to white. Females change to the female colour phase at length of {{convert|20|-|22|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}. The dorsum becomes green, eventually light to yellowish green, whereas the dorso-lateral stripes become indistinct and eventually disappear. The light yellow to white ventral colouration is separated from the dorsal colouration with a distinct irregular margin.<ref name="Raw 1982"/>

Males have a gular vocal sac that has a well-developed protective flap over it. The male advertisement call is a quiet slow creak that could be mistaken for an insect call.<ref name="Raw 1982"/>

thumb|left|''Hyperolius pickersgilli'' female green form

==Habitat and conservation== Pickersgill's reed frog is a habitat specialist that mainly occurs in Indian Ocean Coastal Belt "Vegetation Group 2", at elevations up to {{convert|380|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. It requires perennial wetlands that have very dense reed beds. This habitat type is highly endangered and poorly protected. The species occurs in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Umlalazi Nature Reserve, Ongoye Forest Reserve, and Twinstreams-Mtunzini Natural Heritage Site.<ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021" />

==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="African Amphibians">{{cite web |url=http://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/1471 |title=''Hyperolius pickersgilli'' Raw, 1982 |author= |year= |work=African Amphibians |access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

<ref name=Frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Hyperoliidae/Hyperolius/Hyperolius-pickersgilli |title=''Hyperolius pickersgilli'' Raw, 1982 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2017 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="Raw 1982">{{Cite journal |last=Raw |first=Lynn R. G. |date=1982 |title=A new species of reed frog (Amphibia: Hyperoliidae) from coastal lowlands of Natal, South Africa |url=https://journals.co.za/content/admn/13/9/AJA0012723X_2275 |journal=Durban Museum Novitates |volume=13 |issue=9 |pages=117–126}}</ref> }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q307212}}

pickersgilli Category:Frogs of Africa Category:Endemic amphibians of South Africa Category:Amphibians described in 1982 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot