Hyperolius microps

Last updated

Hyperolius microps
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Hyperolius
Species:
H. microps
Binomial name
Hyperolius microps
Günther, 1864
Synonyms [2]
  • Rappia microps (Günther, 1864)
  • Hyperolius acuticeps Ahl, 1931
  • Hyperolius usaramoae Loveridge, 1932

Hyperolius microps is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. [2] [3] It is known with some certainty from northern Malawi, extreme northern Mozambique, Tanzania, and coastal Kenya; presumably its range extends into adjacent Zambia. [2] However, its range and delimitation differs widely between sources (see below).

Contents

Range and taxonomy

Hyperolius microps was described in 1864 by Albert Günther based on material collected from extreme northern Mozambique. The understanding of this taxon and its relationships to other taxa described later has changed greatly over time, [2] and differences persist between sources. While the Amphibian Species of the World considers Hyperolius acuticeps as a synonym of Hyperolius microps, [2] the AmphibiaWeb recognizes both species as distinct [3] [4] and gives a broad distribution extending into West and South Africa for Hyperolius acuticeps. [4] The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group only recognizes Hyperolius acuticeps but limits it to Malawi and Tanzania. [1] Channing and Rödel (2019) only recognize Hyperolius microps but gives a slightly more restricted distribution than the Amphibian Species of the World. [5]

Description

Males grow to 21 mm (0.8 in) and females to 22 mm (0.9 in) in snout–vent length. The snout is sharply rounded. The toes are almost completely webbed. The fingers and toes bear discs that are larger in the former. The dorsum is green with a darker vertebral band composed of dense pigmented cells. There are pale lateral bands bordered by darker spots and a darker dorsolateral stripe. Males have yellow throat and the upper surfaces of digital discs. [5]

The male advertisement call is a brief, high-pitched "buzz" consisting of 25 pulses and lasting about a quarter of a second. [5]

Habitat and conservation

Hyperolius microps occurs in savanna and grassland [1] [5] in association with emergent vegetation at the margins of swamps, rivers, vleis, lakes, and pools. [1] Males call from flooded grass. [5]

A general threat to the habitat of this species is conversion of grassland into agricultural land and diversion of water for agricultural purposes. It is present in a number of protected areas in Malawi (Nyika National Park and Kaningina and Chongoni Forest Reserves). [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hyperolius argus</i> Species of amphibian

Hyperolius argus, known under common names Argus reed frog, Argus sedge frog, and Boror reed frog is a hyperolid frog found in the eastern coastal plain of Africa from southern Somalia through Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal in eastern South Africa.

<i>Hyperolius hypsiphonus</i> Species of frog

Hyperolius hypsiphonus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the western Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. Common name cross-banded egg-guarding frog has been proposed for it.

Hyperolius jynx is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the Rumpi Hills in south-western Cameroon. The common name smooth egg-guarding frog has been proposed for this species.

Hyperolius obstetricans, or frilled egg-guarding frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is known from southern and south-western Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and northern Angola; it is likely to occur in the intervening Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<i>Hyperolius poweri</i> Species of amphibian

Hyperolius poweri is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southeastern coast of South Africa and southern Mozambique. The specific name poweri honours John Hyacinth Power, Irish-born director of the McGregor Museum who collected amphibians as well as reptiles and plants. Accordingly, common names Power's reed frog and Power's long reed frog have been proposed for this species.

Hyperolius bopeleti, also known as the Dizangue reed frog or Bopelet's reed frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the coastal southwestern Cameroon. The specific name bopeleti honours M. Bopelet, a Cameroonian biologist.

Hyperolius hutsebauti is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found widely in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and has recently (2016) been recorded in Burundi. The specific name hutsebauti honours Franz Joseph Hutsebaut (1886–1954), a Catholic missionary in what was then Belgian Congo. Common names Ibembo reed frog and Hutsebaut's reed frog have been coined for it.

Hyperolius kachalolae is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is known from the area extending from northwestern Zambia to central Malawi, although it is likely that its true range extends into adjacent southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and extreme eastern Angola. Common name Kachalola reed frog has been proposed for it.

Hyperolius kuligae is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southwestern Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea and eastward to the central Democratic Republic of the Congo; it probably occurs in northern Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic too. It is also reported from Uganda, but the status of this population is unclear. The specific name kuligae honours Paul Kuliga (1878–1948), a physician who joined an expedition to Cameroon in 1936. Common names Camp Kivu reed frog and Kuliga reed frog have been proposed for it.

<i>Hyperolius mitchelli</i> Species of amphibian

Hyperolius mitchelli is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in the area between northeastern Tanzania, Malawi, and central Mozambique.

<i>Hyperolius nasutus</i> Species of frog

Hyperolius nasutus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Common names include long-nosed reed frog, sharp-nosed reed frog and long reed frog. It is known from northern Angola and northern Botswana, but it presumably occurs more widely. The nominal Hyperolius nasutus was partitioned in 2013 into three cryptic species, the other two being Hyperolius viridis and Hyperolius microps. All these species are members of the so-called Hyperolius nasutus species group, the "long reed frogs".

<i>Hyperolius parallelus</i> Species of frog

Hyperolius parallelus, also known as the Angolan reed frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Southern and Central Africa. It is part of the so-called Hyperolius viridiflavus species complex and has a complex history of taxonomic treatments.

<i>Hyperolius pusillus</i> Species of amphibian

Hyperolius pusillus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found throughout diverse environments in eastern and southern Africa. It is a very common frog. Its natural habitats are open savanna, bush land and grassland. Breeding takes place in shallow pans, vleis, open swamps, and dams with floating vegetation such as water lilies.

<i>Hyperolius spinigularis</i> Species of frog

Hyperolius spinigularis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in the Mulanje Massif in southern Malawi and the Namuli Massif in adjacent Mozambique. Records from Tanzania refers to other species. Males of this species have characteristic small spines during the breeding season. Its common names are spiny-throated reed frog, spiny reed frog, and Mulanje reed frog.

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

Leptopelis argenteus, also known as the silvery tree frog or triad tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in coastal Kenya and Tanzania and south to northern Mozambique, southern Malawi, and eastern highlands of Zimbabwe.

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.

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

Leptopelis flavomaculatus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the lowlands eastern and southern Africa, from Mozambique north of the Save River and Zimbabwe to Malawi, eastern Tanzania, and coastal Kenya. Its common names are yellow-spotted tree frog, brown-backed tree frog, brown forest treefrog, and Johnston's treefrog.

Leptopelis parbocagii, also known as Lake Upemba forest treefrog or cryptic tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The specific name parbocagii refers to its similarity to Leptopelis bocagii.

<i>Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus</i> Species of frog

Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in the area stretching from the central and southern Sudan southward through South Sudan and central/eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, extreme western Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia to northern Mozambique; its range might extend into northern Zimbabwe. Common names Lake Mwero river frog and webbed puddle frog have been proposed for it.

<i>Amietia delalandii</i> Species of amphibian

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Hyperolius acuticeps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T56108A86523165. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T56108A86523165.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Frost, Darrel R. (2022). "Hyperolius microps Günther, 1864". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Hyperolius microps". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Hyperolius acuticeps". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 180. ISBN   978-1-77584-512-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.