Afrixalus orophilus

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Afrixalus orophilus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Afrixalus
Species:
A. orophilus
Binomial name
Afrixalus orophilus
(Laurent, 1947)
Synonyms [2]

Megalixalus orophilusLaurent, 1947

Afrixalus orophilus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, and southwestern Uganda. [1] [2] [3] Common names Kivu banana frog, montane spiny reed frog, and two-lined leaf-gluing frog has been coined for it. [1] [2] [4]

Contents

Description

Adult males measure 19–27 mm (0.7–1.1 in) and adult females 22–27 mm (0.9–1.1 in) in snout–vent length. [3] [4] The dorsum has narrow stripes on lighter background (but showing little contrast to the ground colour) that converge on the head as well as posteriorly. [3] [4] [5]

Habitat and conservation

Afrixalus orophilus occurs in montane grasslands, montane bamboo forests, and in wetland areas in reeds and papyrus, probably largely higher than 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level; its specific habitat requirements are not well known. [1]

Knowledge on the population status of this species is sketchy; there are some recent records, but it has not been found again at its type locality, despite recent surveys. It is probably impacted by ongoing loss of habitat caused by agriculture and human settlements. Also pet trade and mining could be threats. It is present in the Bwindi National Park in Uganda and in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although presently the latter is not effectively managed. [1]

Related Research Articles

Arthroleptis schubotzi, also known as the Burundi screeching frog, Schubotz's squeaker, and Kivu dwarf litter frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the African Rift Valley in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kivu), southwestern Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and western Uganda. There are taxonomic problems in delimiting this species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden banana frog</span> Species of amphibian

The golden banana frog, golden dwarf reed frog, golden spiny reed frog, or golden leaf-folding frog is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in lowland coastal plains of eastern South Africa, Eswatini, and southern Mozambique. The AmphibiaWeb includes Afrixalus crotalus in this species as a subspecies, whereas the Amphibian Species of the World and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species treat A. crotalus as a full species.

<i>Afrixalus</i> Genus of amphibians

Afrixalus, commonly known as the banana frogs, spiny reed frogs, cat's eye reed frogs, or leaf-folding frogs, is a genus of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. They occur in the Subsaharan Africa. They lay their eggs in vegetation above water, often folding leaves around the eggs for protection—hence the common name "leaf-folding frogs".

<i>Afrixalus crotalus</i> Species of amphibian

Afrixalus crotalus is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Malawi, central Mozambique, and eastern Zimbabwe. It might be a subspecies of Afrixalus aureus, a position adopted by the AmphibiaWeb. It is sometimes known as the Zimbabwe banana frog or snoring spiny reed frog.

<i>Afrixalus delicatus</i> Species of amphibian

Afrixalus delicatus, the delicate leaf-folding frog, delicate spiny reed frog or Pickersgill's banana frog, is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Southern and Eastern Africa, from eastern South Africa and Eswatini northward through Mozambique, the low altitude parts of Malawi and Tanzania, southeastern Kenya to southern Somalia.

Afrixalus equatorialis, also known as the Congo banana frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in the central parts of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and south-eastern Cameroon, and is likely to be found in the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic as well. It might be conspecific with Afrixalus nigeriensis and is closely related to Afrixalus leucostictus.

Afrixalus lacteus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Cameroon and known from a few mountains in the western part of the country; specifically, it has been recorded from Mount Manengouba, Mount Nlonaka, and the southern Bamileke Highlands. Common name Cameroon banana frog has been coined for it. Prior to its description, it was confused with Afrixalus lindholmi.

Afrixalus laevis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Cameroon, northern Gabon, Bioko, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and south-western Uganda. Its range may extend to the neighboring countries. The common names smooth spiny reed frog and Liberian banana frog have been coined for it.

Afrixalus leucostictus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to eastern and central Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its relationship with Afrixalus equatorialis is not fully understood. Common names Makese banana frog and speckled spiny reed frog have been proposed for it.

<i>Afrixalus morerei</i> Species of frog

Afrixalus morerei is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania. It was originally described as a subspecies of Afrixalus septentrionalis, but is currently recognized as a full species. The specific name morerei honours Jean-Jacques Morère, a French herpetologist from the National Museum of Natural History, Paris. Its common names are Morère's spiny reed frog, Dabaga's leaf-folding frog, and Morere's banana frog.

<i>Afrixalus osorioi</i> Species of frog

Afrixalus osorioi is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, western Kenya, and Uganda. The specific name osorioi honours Balthazar Osório, a Portuguese ichthyologist. Its common names include Angola banana frog, Osorio's spiny reed frog, Congro spiny reed frog, and forest tree frog.

Afrixalus upembae is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is known from the lower Katanga Province, although its true distribution might be wider; possibly reaching eastern Angola. It belongs to the taxonomically unresolved "Afrixalus quadrivittatus complex", and it is not even clear that it is a valid species.

Afrixalus weidholzi is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is Weidholz's banana frog or Weidholz's leaf-folding frog.

Afrixalus wittei is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is De Witte's spiny reed frog. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Hyperolius discodactylus is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in the montane areas of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. It is also known as the Albertine Rift reed frog, highland reed frog, or disc-fingered reed frog.

Hyperolius frontalis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, from northwest of Mount Rwenzori, south to west of Lake Kivu, extending into extreme south-western Uganda in the Bwindi Forest. Common names Bushoho reed frog and white-snouted reed frog have been coined for this species.

Leptopelis christyi, also known as the Christy's tree frog or Christy's forest treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known with confidence from eastern and northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, southern and western Uganda, and northwestern Tanzania. It is likely to occur in Burundi and Rwanda, possibly ranging further in East Africa. There is an isolated population in Cameroon and Gabon that might represent a distinct species. The specific name christyi honours Dr. Cuthbert Christy, a British army doctor who collected the holotype.

<i>Leptopelis kivuensis</i> Species of amphibian

Leptopelis kivuensis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of western Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, and in the extreme eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has been considered synonym of Leptopelis karissimbensis, and has been confused with that species. Common names Kisenyi forest treefrog and Kivu tree frog have been coined for it.

<i>Phrynobatrachus parvulus</i> Species of frog

Phrynobatrachus parvulus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in the upland areas of Central and East Africa in Angola, northern Botswana, northern Zimbabwe, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and Tanzania. However, many identifications are problematic, and the taxonomic status of this species with respect to Phrynobatrachus mababiensis and P. ukingensis requires clarification; in the more inclusive species delimitation applied by the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, also Uganda is tentatively included in the range of this species. Common names Loanda river frog, dwarf puddle frog, and little puddle frog have been proposed for this species.

Amietia ruwenzorica is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Uganda, including the eponymous Rwenzori Mountains on the Uganda/DRC border as well as Kabobo Plateau and Itombwe Mountains in DRC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2015). "Afrixalus orophilus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T56072A16937272. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T56072A16937272.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Afrixalus orophilus (Laurent, 1947)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Afrixalus orophilus". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Afrixalus orophilus (Laurent, 1947)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  5. Pickersgill, Martin (2007). "A redefinition of Afrixalus fulvovittatus (Cope, 1860) and Afrixalus vittiger (Peters, 1876) (Amphibia, Anura Hyperoliidae)". African Journal of Herpetology. 56 (1): 23–37. Bibcode:2007AfJH...56...23P. doi:10.1080/21564574.2007.9635551.