Choerophryne swanhildae

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Choerophryne swanhildae
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Choerophryne
Species:
C. swanhildae
Binomial name
Choerophryne swanhildae
(Menzies  [ fr ], 1999)
Synonyms [2]

Albericus swanhildaeMenzies, 1999 [3]

Choerophryne swanhildae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the Hagen and Kubor ranges. [1] [2]

Contents

Etymology

This species was originally described in the genus Albericus, [3] named for Alberich, the dwarf in Scandinavian mythology and Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen . [3] [4] Menzies named the species he described after Alberich's companions in the mythodology, in this case Swanhild. [3]

Description

The type series consists of eight unsexed individuals measuring 14–15 mm (0.55–0.59 in) in snout–urostyle length. [3] Later examination of six of these has revealed them all as males, measuring 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) in snout–vent length. [5] [3] The dorsum is exceptionally warty. The throat is black whereas the belly is grey or spotted. No bright colours are present. [3]

The male advertisement call is a series of very short, bell-like notes. The dominant frequency is about 4 kHz. [3]

Habitat and conservation

Choerophryne swanhildae occurs in mid-montane rainforest at 1,920–2,500 m (6,300–8,200 ft) above sea level. [1] The type locality is a Pandanus grove. [3] Development is presumably direct; [1] i.e., there is no free-living larval stage. [6]

This species is quite common. Threats to it are poorly known, but it appears to tolerate some habitat modification from logging. It is not known to occur in any protected area. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Choerophryne</i> Genus of amphibians

Choerophryne is a genus of microhylid frogs, commonly known as Torricelli mountain frogs, endemic to New Guinea. These frogs are small, with the body length measured from snout to vent between 11–23 mm.

Nyctimystes narinosus, the common big-eyed treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Pelodryadidae, or alternatively, subfamily Pelodryadinae in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and occurs in the Wahgi-Sepik Dividing Range and the Schrader Mountains, on both sides of the border between Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. There is, however, some uncertainty about the western limit of this species. Despite its vernacular name, Nyctimystes narinosus is not a common species.

<i>Choerophryne brunhildae</i> Species of frog

Choerophryne brunhildae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the Adelbert Range, the Bewani Mountains, and the Hunstein Mountains.

Choerophryne darlingtoni is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and found in the New Guinea Highlands. The specific name darlingtoni honors P. Jackson Darlington Jr., an American evolutionary biologist and zoogeographer. Common name Darlington's rainforest frog has been coined for it.

<i>Choerophryne exclamitans</i> Species of amphibian

Choerophryne exclamitans is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and only known from two locations on the slopes of Mount Shungol in the Morobe Province. It might be more widely distributed.

Choerophryne fafniri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from the north-western slopes of Mount Giluwe and south-east of Mount Hagen in the Southern Highlands Province.

Choerophryne gudrunae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from its type locality near Kowat in the Adelbert Range, Madang Province.

Choerophryne gunnari is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the area of its type locality in the Central Province, and from the western slopes of Mount Obree, also in the Central Province.

Choerophryne laurini is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Western New Guinea and known from the Wondiwoi Mountains, at the base of the Wandammen Peninsula. Common name Wandammen albericus frog has been suggested for it.

<i>Choerophryne rhenaurum</i> Species of frog

Choerophryne rhenaurum is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from its type locality, Moiyokabip in the upper Ok Tedi catchment in the Western Province.

Choerophryne sanguinopicta is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to southeastern Papua New Guinea and only known from the vicinity of its type locality, the northern slope of Mt. Simpson in the Owen Stanley Range, Milne Bay Province, although it is expected to occur more widely. The specific name sanguinopictus, from Latin for sanguis ("blood") and pictus ("painted") refers to the distinctive red blotching and punctations characteristic for this species.

<i>Choerophryne siegfriedi</i> Species of frog

Choerophryne siegfriedi is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from its type locality, Mount Elimbari in the Simbu Province.

Choerophryne tubercula is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and known from scattered locations in the New Guinea Highlands. However, the species is likely to occur also in the Indonesian part of New Guinea. Common name warty rainforest ground frog has been coined for it.

Choerophryne valkuriarum is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the eastern New Guinea in Papua New Guinea and is known from near Wau in the Ekuti Dividing Range south to Myola in the Owen Stanley Range. The nominal species might consist of more than one distinct species.

Choerophryne variegata is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to West Papua, Indonesia, and is only known with certainty from its type locality, Digul River. It is assumed that most records from elsewhere refer to other, possibly undescribed species. As the species is only known from one specimen from its vaguely stated type locality, its ecology is essentially unknown, although it is presumed to be a rainforest inhabitant. No other specimen has been collected anywhere near the type locality. Despite all this, vernacular name common rainforest frog has been coined for it.

<i>Choerophryne allisoni</i> Species of amphibian

Choerophryne allisoni is a tiny species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and only known from its type locality, Mount Sisa in the Southern Highlands Province. The specific name allisoni honours Allen Allison, an American herpetologist. Common name Allison's mountain frog has been coined for this species.

Oreophryne biroi is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and occurs on the north coast from Madang Province in Papua New Guinea to the Cyclops Mountains in Papua province, Western New Guinea (Indonesia). The specific name biroi honours Lajos Bíró, a Hungarian zoologist and ethnographer who collected the holotype. Common name New Guinea cross frog has been coined for it.

Choerophryne arndtorum is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the island of Yapen, off the north-western coast of New Guinea and belonging to the Papua Province, Indonesia. It is known from the Waira Mountain, its type locality near Serai, and from another locality further east. Common name Arndt's choerophryne has been suggested for it. The specific name is plural genitive and honours Dr. Rudolf G. Arendt and his family.

Choerophryne microps is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Western New Guinea and known from the Wondiwoi Mountains, at the base of the Wandammen Peninsula. Common name small-eyed choerophryne has been suggested for it.

Choerophryne nigrescens is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Papua Province, Indonesia, and is known from its type locality and two other localities on the island of Yapen, off the north-western coast of New Guinea, as well as from one record from Foja Mountains in New Guinea. Common name blackish choerophryne has been suggested for it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Choerophryne swanhildae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T57669A152548240. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T57669A152548240.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Choerophryne swanhildae (Menzies, 1999)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Menzies, J. I. (1999). "A study of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) of New Guinea". Australian Journal of Zoology. 47 (4): 327–360. doi:10.1071/ZO99003.
  4. Burton, Thomas C. & Zweifel, Richard G. (1995). "A new genus of genyophrynine microhylid frogs from New Guinea". American Museum Novitates (3129): 1–7. hdl:2246/3574.
  5. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2005). "A colorful new species of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) from southeastern Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Pacific Science. 59: 43–53. doi:10.1353/psc.2005.0008. hdl: 10125/24159 . S2CID   58911686.
  6. Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.