Hemisotidae - Shovelnose Frogs

There are nine species in this family of frogs. They are found in the savannahs and scrub forests of Sub-Saharan Africa. They have smooth skin, stubby front legs, and a small head with a pointed snout. Shovelnose frogs are also known as snout burrowers. They burrow head-first into the earth - most of the other species of burrowing frogs burrow rear-first.

The female digs an underground breeding chamber and lays her eggs. The male enters the chamber and fertilizes the eggs. The female stays with the eggs. When they hatch, she either digs a tunnel to the water, carries the tadpoles on her back to the water, waits for rain to wash the tadpoles to the water, or makes a mud slide from the entry to her burrow to the water for the tadpoles to slide on!

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status, or there is no status data for the species.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Additional Information

Resource Key
Profile Photos Video Audio

Marbled Shovelnose Frog - Hemisus marmoratus
The marbled shovelnose frog is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Spotted Shovelnose Frog - Hemisus guttatus
The spotted shovelnose frog is found in South Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spotted Shovelnose Frog - Hemisus guttatus
The male spotted shovelnose frog is around 2 inches in length; the female is 3 inches in length.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Perret's Shovelnose Frog - Hemisus perreti
The spotted shovelnose frog is found in Congo and Gabon.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School