Astylosternus fallax

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Astylosternus fallax
Astylosternus fallax tadpole cropped.jpg
Tadpole
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Astylosternus
Species:
A. fallax
Binomial name
Astylosternus fallax
Amiet  [ fr ], 1978

Astylosternus fallax, also known as the Fopouanga night frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. [1] [2] [3] It is endemic to south-western Cameroon where it is known only from between Yabassi and Nkongsamba, from Mount Yuhan in the Korup National Park, and from Mount Nta Ali in the Mamfe basin. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

Tadpoles are long and slender with a long, muscular tail. The body is oval. Tadpoles in Gosner stage 25 measure 45–74 mm (1.8–2.9 in) in total length. [4]

Habitat and conservation

Astylosternus fallax lives and breeds in and near rivers and slow-flowing streams in lowland and hilly closed-canopy forests, mostly below 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Males call from amidst dead leaves on the river banks near water. It is a common species, albeit known from only few locations. However, within its very small range it is severely threatened by habitat loss, which is primarily driven by human settlement and agricultural encroachment. Human consumption might also be a threat. This species is present in the Korup National Park. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cardioglossa</i> Genus of amphibians

Cardioglossa is a genus of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae known as long-fingered frogs. They are native to western and central Africa, with the greatest species richness in Cameroon. They are found near streams in lowland and mountain forests, but also occur in other highland habitats near streams at up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft) in altitude. These are small frogs with a snout–to-vent length of 2 to 4 cm (0.8–1.6 in). Some of the more localized species are threatened.

<i>Leptopelis</i> Genus of amphibians

Leptopelis is a genus of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae. They are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding Madagascar. It is placed in monotypic subfamily Leptopelinae, although this subfamily is not always recognized. They have a number of common names, including forest treefrogs, tree frogs, leaf-frogs, and big-eyed frogs.

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<i>Astylosternus batesi</i> Species of frog

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Astylosternus montanus, also known as the mountain night frog or montane night frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the mountains of western Cameroon and into the Obudu Plateau in adjacent south-eastern Nigeria.

Astylosternus nganhanus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Cameroon and known from Mount Nganha on the Adamawa Plateau; it is probably endemic to that area. Common name Nganha night frog has been coined for it. This poorly known species is only known from five specimens.

Astylosternus perreti is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to western Cameroon and known from Mount Manengouba and from parts of the Bamileke Highlands, at elevations of 1,200–1,400 m (3,900–4,600 ft) above sea level. It is one of the few species of African frogs to have claws, used on demand, when it feels threatened.

Astylosternus rheophilus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to western Cameroon. Common name Cameroon Range night frog has been coined for it. Two subspecies are recognized:

Astylosternus schioetzi is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to south-western Cameroon and is only known from two areas near Edéa, Apouh and Koupongo, separated by the Sanaga River. The specific name schioetzi honours Arne Schiøtz, a Danish herpetologist who has worked extensively on African tree frogs. Common name Apouh night frog has been coined for this species.

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Leptodactylodon bueanus is a species of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to western Cameroon and known from the eastern slope of Mount Cameroon and from Bimbia Hill near Limbe. It was originally described as a subspecies of Leptodactylodon albiventris and is also similar to Leptodactylodon stevarti.

Leptodactylodon ornatus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to western Cameroon. Common name ornate egg frog has been proposed for it.

Leptodactylodon polyacanthus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of western Cameroon and on the Obudu Plateau in eastern Nigeria. Common name African egg frog has been coined for it.

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

Leptopelis calcaratus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, the southwestern Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Common name Efulen forest treefrog has been coined for it.

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

Leptopelis marginatus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to western Angola and only known from the holotype collected from Quissange. The holotype was lost in the fire of the Natural History Museum of Lisbon in 1978. The validity of this species is in question; it might be a synonym of Leptopelis bocagii or considered a nomen dubium. Common name Quissange forest treefrog has been proposed for it.

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

Leptopelis millsoni is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. Common names Niger forest treefrog and Millson's Tree Frog have been coined for it. There is a need of taxonomic revision of this taxon.

Red tree frog Species of amphibian

The red tree frog, Leptopelis rufus, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeasternmost Nigeria, western Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, western Gabon, the lower Republic of the Congo, the lower Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. It has been confused with several other species, in particular with the palm forest tree frog Leptopelis palmatus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2017). "Astylosternus fallax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T54417A95841677. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T54417A95841677.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Astylosternus fallax Amiet, 1978". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  3. "Astylosternus fallax Amiet, 1978". African Amphibians. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  4. Griesbaum, Frederic; Hirschfeld, Mareike; Barej, Michael F.; Schmitz, Andreas; Rohrmoser, Mariam; Dahmen, Matthias; et al. (2019). "Tadpoles of three western African frog genera: Astylosternus Werner, 1898, Nyctibates Boulenger, 1904, and Scotobleps Boulenger, 1900 (Amphibia, Anura, Arthroleptidae)". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 95 (1): 133–160. doi: 10.3897/zse.95.32793 .