Afrixalus weidholzi

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Afrixalus weidholzi
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Afrixalus
Species:
A. weidholzi
Binomial name
Afrixalus weidholzi
(Mertens, 1938)
Synonyms [2]

Megalixalus weidholziMertens, 1938,
Megalixalus schoutedeniLaurent, 1941
Afrixalus schoutedeni(Laurent, 1941)

Contents

Afrixalus weidholzi is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] Its common name is Weidholz's banana frog [1] [2] [3] or Weidholz's leaf-folding frog. [5]

Distribution

This species is widely distributed in savannas between Gambia and Senegal in the west and east to the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (on the South Sudanese border), but its distribution is patchy. [1] [2] This probably reflects the lack of herpetological work in its general distribution area. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the following countries in the confirmed distribution (from west to east): the Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. Furthermore, it is expected to occur in many intervening countries (Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Sudan). [1]

Etymology

The specific name weidholzi honours Alfred Weidholz, an Austrian wildlife dealer, explorer, and traveler. [5]

Description

Afrixalus weidholzi is a small species: adult measure 18–23 mm (0.71–0.91 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsum is whitish to yellow and has a thin, dark vertebral line, at least posteriorly. There is also a broader, dark lateral stripe running from the tip of snout to the groin. [3] [4]

Reproduction

The males call from dense, low grass that grow on soils flooded by a few centimetres of water. The advertisement call is quiet, high-pitched buzzing. The eggs are placed in small batches in transversally folded grass leaves, glued together by jelly. The newly metamorphosed froglets measure 10.5 mm (0.41 in). [3] [4]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are both dense moist and open dry savannas. Breeding takes place in temporary ponds. It probably tolerates some habitat alteration. It is adversely affected by overgrazing in its habitat, but this is a localized threat only. It can be locally very common, is somewhat tolerant of habitat disturbance, and is not considered threatened. It occurs in the Kyabobo National Park in Ghana, and probably in several other protected areas. [1]

Related Research Articles

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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.

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<i>Leptopelis viridis</i> Species of frog

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

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Natal dwarf puddle frog Species of amphibian

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<i>Ptychadena bibroni</i> Species of frog

Ptychadena bibroni is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, possibly Benin, possibly Guinea-Bissau, and possibly Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, intermittent freshwater marshes, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, and canals and ditches.

<i>Ptychadena oxyrhynchus</i> Species of frog

Ptychadena oxyrhynchus, commonly known as the South African sharp-nosed frog, is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Burkina Faso, possibly Burundi, possibly Niger, possibly Rwanda, and possibly Sudan.

<i>Ptychadena pumilio</i> Species of frog

Ptychadena pumilio is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, possibly Burkina Faso, possibly Chad, possibly Gambia, possibly Ghana, possibly Guinea, possibly Guinea-Bissau, possibly Liberia, possibly Mauritania, possibly Niger, possibly Sudan, possibly Togo, and possibly Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, rivers, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, rural gardens, ponds, and canals and ditches.

Ptychadena tournieri is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is a widespread species in West Africa and found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, as well as in Togo and Benin; it is assumed to occur in Ghana and southeastern Burkina Faso, although it has not been recorded there. On the other hand, some records may refer to other species; the Amphibian Species of the World excludes Gambia and Togo from the distribution. Common names Liberia grassland frog and Tournier's rocket frog are sometimes used.

Ptychadena trinodis is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. Its common name is Dakar grassland frog. It is widely distributed in West and Middle Africa, and following the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), occurs in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. Further, records are missing from Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Niger, South Sudan, and Sudan, but it is presumed to be present in these countries too.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Afrixalus weidholzi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T56085A18372297. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56085A18372297.en .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Afrixalus weidholzi (Mertens, 1938)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Afrixalus weidholzi (Mertens, 1938)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Afrixalus weidholzi". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 Bo Beolens; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson (22 April 2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 230. ISBN   978-1-907807-44-2.