Afrixalus upembae

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Afrixalus upembae
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Afrixalus
Species:
A. upembae
Binomial name
Afrixalus upembae
(Laurent, 1941)
Synonyms [2]
  • Megalixalus leptosomus upembae Laurent, 1941
  • Afrixalus leptosomus upembae (Laurent, 1941)
  • Hyperolius fulvovittatus upembae (Laurent, 1941)

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 (=Shaba Province), [1] [2] [3] [4] although its true distribution might be wider; [1] possibly reaching eastern Angola. [5] It belongs to the taxonomically unresolved " Afrixalus quadrivittatus complex", [1] [3] [4] and it is not even clear that it is a valid species. [1]

Contents

Description

The body is relatively elongate. [5] The dorsum is dark brown and has three light stripes that merge on the snout. The brown dorsal bands have diffuse borders. [3] [4] [5]

Habitat and conservation

Afrixalus upembae lives in moist savanna [1] [5] and probably breeds in small pools. [1] The type series consists more of one thousand specimens, suggesting it is an abundant species. [1] However, the type series does not contain any mature males, possibly because juveniles and females might use different daytime hiding places than males. [6]

Major threats to this species are unknown, as is its recent population status. It can be found in Upemba National Park. [1]

Democratic Republic of the Congo relief location map.jpg
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The eponymous Lake Upemba is the type locality of Afrixalus upembae

Related Research Articles

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, Swaziland, 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 clarkei</i> Species of frog

Afrixalus clarkei is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to southwestern Ethiopia and has been recorded from near Chira, Jimma, Bonga, and Bodare. The specific name clarkei honours Mr and Mrs R. O. S. Clarke, who are acknowledged for their help and hospitality. Common name Clarke's banana frog has been coined for this species.

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 Swaziland 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 southeastern Cameroon, and is likely to be found in the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic too. 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 southwestern Uganda. Its range may extend to the neighboring countries. Common names smooth spiny reed frog and Liberia 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.

Afrixalus lindholmi is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Cameroon and only known from the holotype collected in Bibundi, in the coastal area of Mount Cameroon. Its taxonomic validity is in question.

<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.

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. Common names Kivu banana frog, montane spiny reed frog, and two-lined leaf-gluing frog has been coined for it.

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 uluguruensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is Uluguru banana frog. It is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and known from the Kipengere Range, Mahenge, Udzungwa Scarp, Rubeho, North Uluguru, Nguru, Ukaguru, and Nguu Mountains.

Afrixalus vibekensis, sometimes known as the Nimba banana frog, is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is confirmed to exist in two locations in Côte d'Ivoire and one in Ghana, and it possibly occurs in Guinea and Liberia. It was originally described as subspecies of Afrixalus laevis. The type locality is in Côte d'Ivoire near Mount Nimba.

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.

Callixalus is a genus frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is monotypic, being represented by a single species, Callixalus pictus. It is found in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Rwanda. It is sometimes known as the African painted frog.

Hyperolius obscurus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is a poorly known species known only from its holotype collected from Sandoa, in Kasai Province, south-western Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the border with Angola. Common name Kasai reed frog has been proposed for it.

Hyperolius sankuruensis, also known as the Omaniundu reed frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is known from its type locality, Omaniundu in the Sankuru Province, and from a number of unspecified other localities. It is one of the "lost" frogs that was rediscovered decades after the last previous sighting.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Afrixalus upembae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T56082A18371811. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T56082A18371811.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Afrixalus upembae (Laurent, 1941)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Afrixalus upembae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Afrixalus upembae (Laurent, 1941)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Perret, J.-L. (1976). "Identité de quelques Afrixalus (Amphibia, Salientia, Hyperoliidae)". Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise des Sciences Naturelles. 99: 19–28.
  6. ↑ 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. doi:10.1080/21564574.2007.9635551.
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