Afrixalus aureus Pickersgill 1984

A slender, small Afrixalus (males 17–24 mm, females 19–26 mm) with fine, dense asperities over the entire upper surfaces and in the gular region in males, confined to the head in females. The gular disc is large, squarish to semitriangular, and weakly granular. Bright golden yellow above with a brown lateral band with light speckles. Often a pair of lumbar patches which continues the broad, oblique tibial markings when legs are at rest. Sometimes a weak vertebral line and a broad, poorly defined triangular headspot. Pickersgill (2007) has divided this species into two subspecies of which the above description refers to the nominate form, Afrixalus aureus aureus. The subspecies A. a. crotalus has reduced asperities and different tibial markings and shows a great geographical variation in pattern, including completely unmarked specimens apart from the lateral band and tibial markings. Tibia with an oblique transverse patch across only part of the exposed surface (Pickersgill 2007).Updated by A. Schiøtz, 2008.

The subspecies A. a. aureus occurs in eastern South Africa, and the subspecies A. a. crotalus is found in eastern Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Both subspecies are savanna forms (Pickersgill 2007).

The voice is a series of clicks, about 13-17 per second (Pickersgill 2007).Eggs are white and deposited in a folded, glued leaf above the water (Schiøtz 1999).