The Family Hemisotidae consists of the shovel-snouted frogs, a small group of burrowing amphibians found in sub-Saharan Africa. These frogs are characterized by their stout, rounded bodies, short limbs, and hardened snouts, which they use for digging underground. Hemisotids are mostly fossorial, spending much of their time buried in soil to avoid predators and desiccation, emerging primarily during rainy seasons to breed. They typically lay eggs in moist soil or temporary water bodies, where their tadpoles develop. These frogs play an important ecological role by controlling insect populations and aerating soil through their burrowing behavior.