Afrixalus uluguruensis

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Afrixalus uluguruensis
Uluguru Banana Frog imported from iNaturalist photo 310887653 on 15 April 2024.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Afrixalus
Species:
A. uluguruensis
Binomial name
Afrixalus uluguruensis
(Barbour and Loveridge, 1928) [2]
Synonyms

Megalixalus uluguruensisBarbour and Loveridge, 1928 [3]

Contents

Afrixalus uluguruensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is Uluguru banana frog. [2] [4] It is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania [5] and known from the Kipengere Range (Livingstone Mountains), Mahenge, Udzungwa Scarp, Rubeho, North Uluguru, Nguru, Ukaguru, and Nguu Mountains. [1]

Etymology

The specific name uluguruensis refers to the type locality of this species, Vituri in the Uluguru Mountains. [2] [3]

Description

Males measure 23–25.5 mm (0.91–1.00 in) and females 24–28 mm (0.94–1.10 in) in snout–vent length. The head is broad. The dorsal surfaces are white and have irregular darker spots that rarely form a pattern. Males have fine dorsal spines whereas females are smooth. The males have many small, inconspicuous asperities on the head, dorsum, and limbs. [5] The fingers are about one-third webbed whereas the toes fully webbed. [3]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are tropical forests at elevations of 600–2,200 m (2,000–7,200 ft) above sea level. Breeding takes place in slow-flowing streams, swampy valley bottoms, and temporary pools in closed-canopy forest. [1] The type series was collected from wild bananas in a rainforest. The diet consists of insects such as beetles. [3]

This species is abundant where it occurs. However, it does not survive in degraded habitats and is threatened by habitat loss caused by agricultural encroachment, logging, and expanding human settlements. It occurs in a number of protected areas: Uluguru Nature Reserve, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and the proposed Mkingu and Uzungwa Scarp Nature Reserves. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Boulengerula uluguruensis, the Uluguru pink caecilian or Uluguru African caecilian, is a species of amphibian in the family Caeciliidae. It is endemic to Tanzania where it is found in the Nguu, Nguru, and Uluguru Mountains. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest.

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

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<i>Afrixalus</i> Genus of amphibians

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

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<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.

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 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

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Hyperolius kihangensis, also known as the Kihanga reed frog or volcano reed frog, is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains in south-central Tanzania.

<i>Hyperolius minutissimus</i> Species of frog

Hyperolius minutissimus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It's common names are tiny reed frog and dwarf reed frog. It is endemic to Tanzania and known from the Udzungwa Mountains and from near Njombe in the Southern Highlands.

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

Leptopelis flavomaculatus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the lowlands eastern and southern Africa, from Mozambique north of the Save River and Zimbabwe to Malawi, eastern Tanzania, and coastal Kenya. Its common names are yellow-spotted tree frog, brown-backed tree frog, brown forest treefrog, and Johnston's treefrog.

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

Leptopelis parkeri is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Tanzania and known from the Eastern Arc Mountains. Specifically, it has been recorded from Uluguru, Udzungwa, East and West Usambara, Nguru, and South Pare Mountains. Common names Parker's tree frog and Parker's forest treefrog have been coined for it. It is named after Hampton Wildman Parker, a British zoologist and herpetologist from the Natural History Museum, London.

Hoplophryne rogersi, also known as the Tanzania banana frog, Usambara banana frog, Usambara blue-bellied frog, and Roger's three-fingered frog, is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to north-eastern Tanzania and known from the Usambara, Magrotto, and Nguru Mountains of Tanga Region. The specific name rogersi honours F. W. Rogers, the custodian of the Amani Research Institute at the time of the describers' visit to Usambara.

Parhoplophryne is a monotypic frog genus in the family Microhylidae. The sole species is Parhoplophryne usambarica, sometimes known as the Usambara black-banded frog or Amani forest frog. It is endemic to the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. It is only known from one specimen collected in the 1920s and is feared to be extinct.

Probreviceps uluguruensis is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is endemic to the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Common names Uluguru big-fingered frog and Uluguru forest frog have been proposed for it.

Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to eastern Tanzania and is known from the Udzungwa, Uluguru, Nguu, and Nguru Mountains. Common names Ukinga puddle frog and Udzungwa puddle frog have been coined for this species.

Ptychadena uzungwensis is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found on the East African Plateau in Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania in the north and then southward to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and uplands of Mozambique. Its common names include Udzungwa ridged frog and Udzungwa grass frog, where "Udzungwa" may also be written Uzungwa, following the spelling that Arthur Loveridge used in the species description for the Udzungwa Mountains, the type locality.

<i>Scolecomorphus uluguruensis</i> Species of amphibian

Scolecomorphus uluguruensis, is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae. It is endemic to the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Afrixalus uluguruensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T56081A16951026. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T56081A16951026.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Afrixalus uluguruensis (Barbour and Loveridge, 1928)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Barbour, T.; Loveridge, A. (1928). "A comparative study of the herpetological faunae of the Uluguru and Usambara Mountains, Tanganyika Territory with descriptions of new species". Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 50: 87–265. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.49344 .
  4. Afrixalus uluguruensis media from ARKive
  5. 1 2 "Afrixalus uluguruensis". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2016.