Amietia delalandii

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Amietia delalandii
Amietia delalandii (10.3897-zse.92.9948) Figure 3 (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pyxicephalidae
Genus: Amietia
Species:
A. delalandii
Binomial name
Amietia delalandii
(Duméril and Bibron, 1841)
Synonyms [2]
  • Rana Delalandii Duméril and Bibron, 1841
  • Rana nyassae Günther, 1893 "1892"
  • Rana quecketti Boulenger, 1895 "1894"
  • Rana Theileri Mocquard, 1906
  • Rana dracomontana Channing, 1978
  • Afrana dracomontana (Channing, 1978)
  • Amietia dracomontana (Channing, 1978)
  • Amietia quecketti (Boulenger, 1895)

Amietia delalandii, also known as the Delalande's river frog, [1] [3] the Drakensberg frog, Drakensberg river frog, or Sani Pass frog, [2] is a species of southern African river frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. [1] [2] It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and possibly Zambia. [1] [2] [4] It is the sister species to A. vertebralis . [4]

Contents

Description

River frogs all have streamlined bodies with pointed noses and live close to water. They have well-developed hind legs and when disturbed rapidly leap into the water, where they may remain submerged for long periods.

Males reach a snout–urostyle length 58 mm (2.3 in) and females 83 mm (3.3 in). The toes are partially webbed. The colouration is variable but typically the dorsum ranges from dull brown to luminous green with a pale brown background with orange flecks, and is covered by small dark brown blotches. About half of individuals have a prominent pale vertebral stripe. The tympanum is more than half the diameter of its eye and is dark with pale flecks. The gular area is usually marbled, with the marbling extending to the chest; otherwise, the underside is unmarked and uniformly pale. [4]

The male advertisement call is a short series of frequency-modulated clicks, followed by a pause and a brief croak. [4] They may call singly or in groups.

Distribution and habitat

Amietia delalandii is found in the highlands of southern and eastern Lesotho to above 2,000 m asl, in Natal in the permanent mountain streams originating in the Drakensberg Escarpment and with a wide distribution throughout South Africa, except in the dry west of the country. As a high-altitude stream breeder the species is vulnerable to infection by the fungus Batrachochytrium . [5]

They are adaptable species and may be found along large and small rivers, in savanna, forest fringes, and grasslands, and in ornamental ponds at elevations of 200–1,500 m (660–4,920 ft) above sea level. Their eggs are laid individually in slow-moving to static water and the tadpoles are bottom feeders.

Conservation status

It is a common and widespread species that is facing at most localized threats. It is present in several protected areas. [1]

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Micro frog Species of amphibian

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<i>Petropedetes cameronensis</i> Species of frog

Petropedetes cameronensis, sometimes known as the Cameroon water frog, is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, southwestern Cameroon, and on the island of Bioko. It is the type species of the genus Petropedetes.

Petropedetes perreti is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is endemic to Cameroon. It is known from the southern slopes of the Bamiléké Plateau, Mount Manengouba, and Mount Nlonako. Common name Perret's water frog has been coined for it.

Cape river frog Species of amphibian

The Cape river frog is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae named for the Cape of Good Hope. Formerly, it was placed in the family Ranidae. It occurs widely in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. A newly described species, A. poyntoni, was split from this species in 2013.

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.

Amietia wittei is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania, including Mount Elgon in the Kenya/Uganda border. Its type locality is in Molo, Kenya, located near the top of the Mau Escarpment. The specific name wittei honours Gaston-François de Witte, a Belgian naturalist.

Amietia vertebralis, also known as Maluti river frog, aquatic river frog, ice frog, large-mouthed frog, or water frog, is a species of frogs in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is an aquatic high-altitude species found in Lesotho and adjacent South Africa.

Aubria masako is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in southeastern Cameroon, eastern Gabon, southwestern Central African Republic, northern Republic of the Congo, and eastward to the central Democratic Republic of the Congo, with one (doubtful) record from Angola; it might occur in Equatorial Guinea. Common names Masako ball frog and Masako fishing frog have been coined for this species. Its distinctness from Aubria subsigillata has been debated, but at present it is treated as a valid species.

Edible bullfrog Species of amphibian

The edible bullfrog, also known as the pixie frog, lesser bullfrog or Peter's bullfrog, is a large-bodied African species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae.

Grays stream frog Species of amphibian

Gray's stream frog is a fairly small species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is a ground dweller, living mainly in vegetation such as sedges, generally brown, slenderly built and agile, with long, practically unwebbed toes.

Amietia hymenopus is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in the Drakensberg Mountains and Lesotho Highlands in northeastern Lesotho and adjacent South Africa. This species has many common names: Phofung river frog, Berg stream frog, Drakensberg river frog, Natal Drakensberg frog, Drakensberg frog, and Drakensberg rana.

Delalandes sand frog Species of amphibian

Delalande's sand frog, also known as Delalande's frog, Cape sand frog, or striped pixie, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to western and southern South Africa and occurs in the low-lying areas of Namaqualand, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape as far east as Cape St. Francis.

Tandys sand frog Species of amphibian

Tandy's sand frog is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and south-western Angola, and from inland Tanzania and Kenya. It probably occurs more widely within and between these two disjunct areas. The specific name tandyi honours Robert Mills Tandy, an American biologist, herpetologist, and photographer and the collector of the type material.

Amietia desaegeri is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is found west and south of the Rwenzori Mountains in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northwestern Rwanda. Common names Byangolo frog and De Saeger's river frog have been coined for it.

<i>Natalobatrachus bonebergi</i> Species of amphibian

Natalobatrachus bonebergi, the Natal diving frog, Boneberg's frog, or Kloof frog ), is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is the only species within the monotypic genus Natalobatrachus. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers and it is threatened by habitat loss.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2017). "Amietia delalandii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T113263541A113263686. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T113263541A113263686.en .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Amietia delalandii (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "Amietia delalandii Delaland's River Frog". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Channing, A.; Dehling, J.M.; Lötters, S. & Ernst, R. (2016). "Species boundaries and taxonomy of the African river frogs (Amphibia: Pyxicephalidae: Amietia)". Zootaxa. 4155 (1): 1–76. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4155.1.1. PMID   27615865.
  5. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb".
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