After metamorphosis, individuals leave the stream before the winter rains and move to large damp rocks, rock faces covered in moss and rock cracks found close to the streams. The hind legs of adults are fully webbed and assist in swimming but they are poor jumpers. Tadpoles have sucker-like mouthparts that are used for clinging on to rocks in fast flowing streams and they also have strong muscular tails to assist in swimming.
Females (60 mm in length) are slightly larger than the males (50 mm). The hind legs are fully webbed and the tips of the toes and fingers have sucker-like disc pads. They have a rudimentary thumb structure and large eyes with vertical pupils. Adults are green in colour, with mottled purple or reddish-brown patches. The Table Mountain ghost frog is approximately 5–6 cm from snout to vent with a squat, depressed body that allows it to enter small moist rock cracks, and toes that allow it to grip smooth surfaces.
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How to recognise a Table Mountain ghost frog It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List because of its small and restricted natural range (less than 9 km2) and perceived threats from habitat modification. It is morphologically well adapted to live in fast flowing mountain streams adults have webbed toes that have sucker-like disc pads at the tips that help frogs cling on to slippery and wet rock surfaces, while tadpoles have sucker-like mouthparts that are also used to gain purchase on wet surfaces and to scrap algae from rocks when feeding. It has a very small natural range of 7–8 km2 that is restricted to perennial mountain streams on the eastern and southern slopes of the mountain. The Table Mountain ghost frog is a rare and elusive frog species that is endemic to Table Mountain in the Western Cape. The entire genus is endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. The common name, ‘ghost frog’ originates from where the genus was first recorded, namely Skeleton Gorge on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, which is a treacherous, steep and ghostly ravine. The species is named after the famous herpetologist and naturalist, Walter Rose (1884–1964).
However, this name is inappropriate because members of the family neither live in marshes nor are they toads.
The name name ‘ Heleophryne’ comes from the Greek words ‘ hélos’ meaning ‘marsh’ and ‘ phrynes’ meaning toad. Common names: Rose’s ghost frog, thumbed ghost frog, Tafelbergse spookpadda (Afr.)
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