### Identification The Tinker Reed Frog (*Hyperolius tuberilinguis*) is a 30–35mm jewel of the African wetlands. Unlike its heavily striped cousins, it typically sports a smooth, translucent dorsum ranging from a vivid lime-green to a warm mustard yellow. Look closely for fine black peppering on the back and a distinctively pale, creamy belly. A key field mark is the hidden flash of bright yellow or orange on the inner thighs and toes—visible only when the frog leaps. Crucially, it lacks the dark lateral bands found in similar species, and its eyes feature a striking horizontal pupil set against a golden iris.
### Habitat & Range You’ll find this species across the low-altitude savannas and coastal mosaics of East and Southern Africa, stretching from Kenya down to South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal. They are masters of "emergent vegetation," clinging to reeds, papyrus, and tall grasses overhanging permanent pans, lilies, or seasonal floodplains.
### Behaviour By day, these frogs are masters of crypsis, pressing their bodies flat against green leaves to minimize water loss and vanish from predators. At night, the marshes erupt with their presence. Males produce a sharp, percussive, and metallic *tink-tink-tink*—reminiscent of a tiny hammer striking an anvil. They are agile acrobats, using oversized, sticky toe pads to navigate vertical stalks. During the rains, females deposit gelatinous egg masses on vegetation just inches above the waterline; once they hatch, the tadpoles drop directly into the water below.
### Diet A classic sit-and-wait predator, the Tinker Reed Frog targets small, soft-bodied aerial insects. They favor midges, mosquitoes, and tiny moths that frequent the water’s edge, snatching them with a lightning-fast flick of the tongue.
### Fascinating Fact The specific name *tuberilinguis* literally means "swollen tongue." If you were to look inside its mouth, you’d find a tongue covered in tiny, fleshy bumps (tubercles)—a unique anatomical feature that helps it grip slippery prey and sets it apart from almost every other reed frog in the region!