Arthroleptis schubotzi

Last updated

Burundi screeching frog
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Arthroleptis
Species:
A. schubotzi
Binomial name
Arthroleptis schubotzi
Nieden, 1911
Synonyms [2]
  • Schoutedenella discodactyla Laurent, 1954
  • Schoutedenella kivuensis de Witte, 1941
  • Arthroleptis discodactyla– Laurent, 1957
  • Schoutedenella schubotzi– Laurent, 1985
  • Arthroleptis kivuensis– Gorham, 1974

Arthroleptis schubotzi, also known as the Burundi screeching frog, [2] 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. [1] [2] There are taxonomic problems in delimiting this species. [1]

Contents

Etymology

The specific name honours the German zoologist Johann G. Hermann Schubotz (1881–1955). [3]

Description

A. schubotzi is a very small Arthroleptis species: adult males measure 19–21 mm (0.7–0.8 in) and adult females 17–23 mm (0.7–0.9 in) in snout–vent length. [4] [5] The tympanum is distinct and half the size of the eye. The legs are short. The belly is pigmented. Colouration is cryptic and commonly involves a dark spot on the head. Males have a black throat. [5]

The male advertisement call is a harsh series of double chirps. [5]

Habitat and conservation

Arthroleptis schubotzi occurs in closed tropical forest, forest edges, savanna, and agricultural areas outside forest at elevations of approximately 1,460–2,800 m (4,790–9,190 ft) above sea level, perhaps wider. It is an adaptable leaf-litter species. It breeds by direct development, (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage [6] ) thereby not depending on water. [1]

Specific threats to this species are unknown, but it probably will not tolerate complete opening of its habitat. It is occurs in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Kibale and Bwindi National Parks in Uganda. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Arthroleptis</i> Genus of amphibians

Arthroleptis is a genus of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae found in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. Their common names include screeching frogs, sometimes simply squeakers.

Arthroleptis adolfifriederici is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. Several common names have been coined for it, including Rugege Forest squeaker, Rugegewald squeaker, Adolf Friedrich's squeaker frog, and Adolf's squeaker.

<i>Arthroleptis carquejai</i> Species of frog

Arthroleptis carquejai is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known with certainty only from north-western Angola, but there is also a recent record from Gabon. If this is correct, its distribution might also include intervening areas in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The specific name carquejai honours Bento Carqueja, Portuguese professor, journalist, and philanthropist. The common names Cambondo screeching frog and Carqueja's squeaker have been proposed for it.

<i>Arthroleptis francei</i> Species of frog

Arthroleptis francei is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi and in Mount Namuli and Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique. Records from the Zomba Massif (Malawi) require confirmation. Common names Ruo River screeching frog and France's squeaker have been coined for it.

Arthroleptis lameerei is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in northeastern Angola, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and western Burundi, though the exact range is poorly known. There is some doubt whether it is distinct from Arthroleptis xenochirus. The specific name lameerei honours Auguste Lameere, a Belgian entomologist. Common names Lameere's squeaker, Lameer's squeaker, and Katanga screeching frog have been coined for this species.

<i>Arthroleptis poecilonotus</i> Species of frog

Arthroleptis poecilonotus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. This adaptable species has a wide range within the Sub-Saharan Africa and is not considered threatened.

Arthroleptis reichei is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the mountains of eastern and southern Tanzania and northern Malawi. It has several vernacular names: Poroto screeching frog, large-toad squeaker, Poroto Mountains screeching frog, and Reiche's squeaker. The specific name reichei honours Karl Friedrich Reiche, a German botanist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common squeaker</span> Species of frog

Arthroleptis stenodactylus, the common squeaker, dune squeaker, narrow-footed humus frog, savanna squeaking frog, or shovel-footed squeaker, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It occurs widely in the Sub-Saharan Africa and is known from coastal Kenya and eastern and southern Tanzania, south to Malawi and Mozambique and southwest to Zambia and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo to western Angola, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa. An isolated population in Uganda likely represent another species, and it is possible that the current species circumscription includes further cryptic species.

<i>Arthroleptis tanneri</i> Species of amphibian

Arthroleptis tanneri, the Tanzania screeching frog or Tanner's squeaker, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to the West Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania; previous records from elsewhere refer to other species.

Arthroleptis vercammeni, also known as the Mwana screeching frog or Vercammen's squeaker, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and is only known from its type locality at Mwana in Mwenga Territory, South Kivu province. The specific name vercammeni honours Paul-Henry Vercammen-Grandjean, entomologist and virologist from France/Belgium.

Cardioglossa cyaneospila is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to the Albertine Rift area in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Uganda, Rwanda, and southwestern Burundi. It was described in 1950 by Raymond Laurent based on specimens collected in 1949. No new records were published until 2011. Recent research has uncovered both old unpublished records and several new records, and the conservation status was changed from "data deficient" to "near threatened" in 2016. Common names Bururi long-fingered frog and Mukuzira long-fingered frog have been coined for this species.

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.

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.

Bocage's tree frog is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and possibly Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda.

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.

Leptopelis fiziensis, also known as the Mokanga forest tree frog or Fizi tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, on both sides of Lake Tanganyika, and it is likely to occur in Burundi, in between the two know areas of distribution.

Leptopelis karissimbensis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of western Rwanda and southwestern Uganda and in the adjacent eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is very similar to Leptopelis kivuensis and has been confused with that species. Common names Karissimbi forest treefrog and Karissimbi tree frog have been coined for it.

<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.

Arthroleptis kutogundua, also known as the overlooked squeaker frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It has not been seen since 1930, and is believed to be possibly extinct.

Arthroleptis nlonakoensis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to southwestern Cameroon and known from its type locality, the eponymous Mount Nlonako, and from two other locations in southwestern Cameroon. Common name Nlonako squeaker has been proposed for it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Arthroleptis schubotzi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T45550902A18363348. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T45550902A18363348.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Arthroleptis schubotzi Nieden, 1911". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 194. ISBN   978-1-907807-42-8.
  4. Blackburn, David C. (2009). "Description and phylogenetic relationships of two new species of miniature Arthroleptis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania". Breviora. 517: 1–17. doi:10.3099/0006-9698-517.1.1. S2CID   89821831.
  5. 1 2 3 Liedtke, H. Christoph; Isabelle Maiditsch & Jacob Ng’wava (2011). "A bioacoustic and morphometric account of Albertine Rift litter frog, Artholeptis schubotzi (Amphibia: Anura)" (PDF). Tropical Biology Association. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  6. Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.