Heterixalus madagascariensis
—
Blue-back Reed Frog
Also known as:
Madagascar Reed Frog
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043009PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043011PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043018PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043023PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043024PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043027PD_frog.jpg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/07043028PD_frog.jpg)
We stayed at Relais du Masoala for one afternoon and one night before taking a boat to Masoala National Park. After dinner I wandered around the grounds looking for nocturnal herping activity. Mostly I saw a bunch of frogs. At the time, I thought I had seen a few different species, but when I studied the photos I decided that they were all H. madagascariensis.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2007 trip to Madagascar.
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/230428026L.jpeg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/230428030L.jpeg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/230428044L.jpeg)
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/230428100L.jpeg)
Both Heterixalus madagascariensis and Heterixalus punctatus might be found in this area, though I would guess not in the same small section of forest. The two are very similar, so I can't be sure which species these belong to. However, some of them clearly have orange-ish feet rather than yellow feet, which is a characteristic of H. madagascariensis. So if they are indeed all the same species, I'm guessing they are H. madagascariensis.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.
![Blue-back Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis)](../images/herps/standard/230429039L.jpeg)
This dramatically different appearance is adopted by these frogs during the day, when they sleep fully exposed to the sun.
Printed references:
- Glaw, F., Vences, M. 2007. A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Third Edition
- Glaw, F., Vences, M. 1994. A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Second Edition
- Henkel, F., Schmidt, W. 2000. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar and the Mascarene, Seychelles, and Comoro Islands