| Shovelnose frogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Marbled snout-burrower | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Clade: | Afrobatrachia |
| Family: | Hemisotidae Cope, 1867 |
| Genus: | Hemisus Günther, 1859 |
| Species | |
Hemisus barotseensis | |
 | |
| Distribution of Hemisotidae (in black) | |
Theshovelnose frogs are thespecies offrogs in thegenus,Hemisus, theonly genus in thefamilyHemisotidae. They are found in tropical and subtropicalsub-Saharan Africa. The shovelnose frogs are moderate-sized frogs, reaching a length of 8 cm (3.1 in). They are round-bodied, with short legs. Their heads are small and narrow, with hard, upturned noses.[1]
The shovelnose frogs areburrowing frogs, living most of their lives underground. The female digs underground while inamplexus, and lays hereggs in an underground cavity. The male leaves through the tunnel, and the female remains with the eggs. Once sufficient rain has fallen, the female burrows with her nose towards a water source, where thetadpoles will remain untilmetamorphosis.[1] The tadpoles may remain out of water up to a few days.
Unlike most burrowing frogs, the shovelnose frogs burrow head-first, as opposed to rear-first, hence their other common names - snout-burrowers. Some species are kept as pets.
FamilyHEMISOTIDAE
