Conraua robusta

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Conraua robusta
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Conrauidae
Genus: Conraua
Species:
C. robusta
Binomial name
Conraua robusta
Nieden, 1908 [2]
Synonyms [3]

Conraua robusta, the robust giant frog or Cameroon slippery frog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae found in western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. [1] [3] [4] This species is congeneric to the goliath frog, the largest known frog species in the world. [5]

Contents

Description

Male Conraua robusta grow to a snout–vent length of 140 mm (5.5 in) and females to 122 mm (4.8 in). The body is long and compact. The snout is short and rounded. The head is broad and flat. The dorsum is densely covered with small, round warts. The legs are muscular and covered with numerous parallel ridges. The toe tips have large oval discs. The body varies dorsally from beige to olive to brown with irregular black patterning, turning to almost uniformly black in old individuals. The venter is white or black, especially on the throat, .chest, and towards the knees. [4]

Habitat

Conraua robusta occurs in and near cold, fast-flowing streams in both grassland and forest areas at elevations of 750–1,400 m (2,460–4,590 ft) above sea level; it does not require tree cover and can be found in some urban areas. [1] It is predominantly nocturnal. [4] The tadpoles live in fast, even torrential, water. It is sympatric with C. crassipes and C. goliath in parts of its range; it prefers colder, faster water than the latter. [1]

Conservation

Conraua robusta is an uncommon species that is probably negatively affected by habitat loss and deterioration caused by agriculture, logging, and human settlements. The impacts include sedimentation of the streams it inhabits. It is also harvested for food, but at levels that are sustainable; there is ongoing work to ensure that the harvest continues to be sustainable. This species is found in the Cross River National Park (Nigeria). [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath frog</span> Species of amphibian

The goliath frog, otherwise known commonly as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. The goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can grow up to 32 centimetres (12.6 in) in length from snout to vent, and weigh up to 3.25 kilograms (7.2 lb). This species has a relatively small habitat range in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Its numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction and its collection for food and the pet trade.

<i>Conraua</i> Genus of amphibians

Conraua, known as slippery frogs or giant frogs is a genus of large frogs from sub-Saharan Africa. Conraua is the only genus in the family Conrauidae. Alternatively, it may be placed in the family Petropedetidae.

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

Arthroleptis variabilis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the lowlands of eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Earlier records west from Nigeria refer to other species, including Arthroleptis krokosua described in 2008. Common names Buea screeching frog and variable squeaker frog have been coined for it.

Cardioglossa alsco is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Cameroon and is known from its type locality on southern slopes of the Tschabal Mbabo Mountains as well as from the Gotel Mountains, both in the Adamawa Region. Its range might extend into Nigeria. The specific name alsco is a patronym for the American Linen Supply Company (ALSCO). The company's German branch supported the expedition during which this species was discovered.

Cardioglossa melanogaster is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the mountains of western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. Common name Amiet's long-fingered frog has been coined for it.

Cardioglossa nigromaculata is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the south-western Cameroon and in the extreme southern Nigeria at low altitudes. Common name blackspotted long-fingered frog has been coined for it.

Cardioglossa pulchra is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the Cameroon Range in western Cameroon and in the Obudu Plateau in adjacent eastern Nigeria. Common name black long-fingered frog has been coined for it.

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.

<i>Scotobleps</i> Genus of amphibians

Scotobleps is a monotypic frog genus in the family Arthroleptidae; its sole species is Scotobleps gabonicus, sometimes known as the Gaboon forest frog or Gabon forest frog. It is found in eastern Nigeria, western and southwestern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, western Gabon, western Republic of the Congo, and western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its range could extend into the Cabinda Enclave of Angola.

Sclerophrys tuberosa is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, southwestern Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo. Common names rough toad, warty toad, and Fernando Po toad have been proposed for it.

Werneria tandyi, also known as Tandy's torrent toad or Tandy's smalltongue toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to western Cameroon and known from Mount Manengouba and from the Rumpi Hills. The specific name tandyi honours Robert Mills Tandy, biologist, herpetologist, and wildlife photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The red tree frog 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.

<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.

<i>Phrynobatrachus cricogaster</i> Species of amphibian

Phrynobatrachus cricogaster is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in the mountains of western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria. Common name Nkongsamba river frog has been coined for it. The specific name cricogaster is derived from the Greek krikos for "ring" and gaster for "belly", in reference to the prominent ring pattern on its venter.

Phrynobatrachus graueri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and western Kenya. The specific name graueri honours Rudolf Grauer, Austrian explorer and zoologist who collected the holotype. Common names Rugege river frog and Grauer's puddle frog have been coined for it.

Phrynobatrachus steindachneri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. The specific name steindachneri honours Franz Steindachner, an Austrian herpetologist and ichthyologist. This species is also known as Steindachner's puddle frog and Steindachner's river frog.

Phrynobatrachus werneri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is only known with certainty from western Cameroon, although there is a putative record from Chappal Waddi in Nigeria, close to the border of Cameroon; the earlier record from the Obudu Plateau in Nigeria is now assigned to Phrynobatrachus schioetzi described as a new species in 2011. The status of Phrynobatrachus manengoubensis from Mount Manengouba remains unclear, with some questioning its distinctness from Phrynobatrachus werneri. Common name Werner's river frog has been coined for this species.

Conraua derooi is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. It is found in Togo and Ghana. Common name Togo slippery frog has been coined for this species. Even feared to be extinct, a few populations were found in surveys in 2005–2007, after the species had gone unrecorded for more than 20 years.

<i>Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi</i> Species of amphibian

Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in submontane and montane regions within the Cameroon volcanic line as well as the adjacent Obudu Plateau in the southeast of Nigeria. It is named after James (Jim) Zimkus by his wife, Breda Zimkus, the first author of the species description. Common name Jim Zimkus' puddle frog has been proposed for this species.

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

Arthroleptis palava, also known as the problem squeaker frog or simply problem squeaker, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of northern Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. The specific name palava is a Central/West-African pidgin word meaning "problem" and alludes to the past confusion of this species with the morphologically similar Arthroleptis poecilonotus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Conraua robusta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T58254A96061036. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T58254A96061036.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. Nieden, F. (1908). "Die Amphibienfauna von Kamerun". Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin. 3: 491–518.
  3. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Conraua robusta Nieden, 1908". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 350. ISBN   978-1-77584-512-6.
  5. Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 507.