### Identification The Water Lily Reed Frog (*Hyperolius pusillus*) is a translucent marvel of the African wetlands. Measuring a diminutive 15–20mm, this "glass frog" of the south is almost entirely see-through. Its dorsal color ranges from a delicate lime-green to a pale, buttery yellow, often dusted with fine black speckles. Look for two distinctive creamy-white stripes running from the snout, over the eyes, and down the flanks. Unlike the similar *Hyperolius nasutus* (Long-nosed Reed Frog), *H. pusillus* has a shorter, more rounded snout and a much flatter profile. In the beam of a headlamp, their golden-iridized eyes glow with a subtle brilliance.
### Habitat & Range This species is a specialist of the low-lying coastal plains and moist savannas of Southern and Eastern Africa, stretching from the Eastern Cape of South Africa up through Malawi and Somalia. You will find them almost exclusively in pans, dams, and slow-moving rivers choked with floating vegetation—specifically white water lilies (*Nymphaea*). They rarely venture far from these "floating islands," which provide both a hunting ground and a nursery.
### Behaviour During the day, these frogs are masters of camouflage, pressing their translucent bodies flat against green leaves to disappear into the foliage. At night, the pans come alive with their high-pitched, metallic "tink-tink" calls, sounding much like a miniature hammer striking an anvil. If you approach quietly, you’ll see males perched on lily pads, their vocal sacs inflating like tiny, translucent bubbles. Their breeding strategy is unique: females deposit a single layer of about 20–50 eggs on the underside of a lily pad, often folding the leaf edge over to create a protective, gelatinous "sandwich."
### Diet As miniature predators, they are opportunistic insectivores. They sit-and-wait for tiny soft-bodied insects, such as midges, mosquitoes, and fruit flies, to land nearby. With a lightning-fast flick of their tongue, they snatch prey from the air or the surface of the lily pad.
### Fascinating Fact The Water Lily Reed Frog is so remarkably translucent that if you hold one up to a light (or catch it at the right angle on a leaf), you can actually see its internal organs, its beating heart, and even its delicate green-tinted bones! This "X-ray" transparency is a clever defense, allowing the frog to take on the exact hue of the leaf beneath it.