Kassina cassinoides | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Hyperoliidae |
Genus: | Kassina |
Species: | K. cassinoides |
Binomial name | |
Kassina cassinoides (Boulenger, 1903) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Hylambates cassinoidesBoulenger, 1903 |
Kassina cassinoides, also known as large running frog or silver running frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is found in Cameroon and—disjunctly—in West Africa, specifically in (from west to east) in Senegal, the Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. [1] [2] It might occur more broadly, and presumably occurs in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, [1] and Mauritania. [2]
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. There are over 7,000 recorded species, accounting for over 85% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.
The Hyperoliidae, sedge and bush frogs, are a large family of small to medium-sized, brightly colored frogs which contains more than 250 species in 19 genera. Seventeen genera are native to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the monotypic genus Tachycnemis occurs on the Seychelles Islands, and the genus Heterixalus is endemic to Madagascar.
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although Cameroon is not an ECOWAS member state, it is geographically and historically in West Africa with the Southern Cameroons which now form her Northwest and Southwest Regions having a strong West African history. The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa.
Kassina cassinoides, measuring 42–46 mm (1.7–1.8 in) in snout–vent length, is a large member of the genus Kassina. The dorsum is silver-gray to yellow and has six longitudinal stripes, of which the two median ones are close together, often coming together. [3] [4] The toes are slightly webbed and have small disks. The fingers have no webbing [3] Kassina cassinoides is not easy to tell apart from Kassina senegalensis . [1]
Kassina senegalensis, the Senegal running frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Benin, possibly Burundi, possibly Republic of the Congo, possibly Eritrea, possibly Guinea-Bissau, possibly Mauritania, and possibly Togo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and canals and ditches.
The male advertisement call is similar to other Kassina, but it differs from the calls of the sympatric K. senegalensis and K. fusca by being deeper (it has the lowest-pitched call of its genus [3] ) and more sonorous. [4] The tadpoles are slender and measure 8.5–9.0 mm (0.33–0.35 in) upon hatching and about 55 mm (2.2 in) at the time of metamorphosis. [3]
Kassina fusca is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is brown running frog or pale running frog. It is found in the West African savanna zone in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Nigeria. It probably occurs in Guinea-Bissau, although there are no records from there.
A tadpole is the larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad. They are usually wholly aquatic, though some species have tadpoles that are terrestrial. When first hatched from the egg they have a more or less globular body, a laterally compressed tail and internal or external gills. As they grow they undergo metamorphosis, during which process they grow limbs, develop lungs and reabsorb the tail. Most tadpoles are herbivorous and during metamorphosis the mouth and internal organs are rearranged to prepare for an adult carnivorous lifestyle.
Kassina cassinoides inhabit dry and wooded savannas and gallery forests. Breeding occurs in the rainy season and takes place in temporary water, preferably in large, well-vegetated pools. Males call from the ground or from elevated sites in the vegetation. [1] [3] The species is nocturnal. [3]
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland grassland ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.
Kassina cassinoides is difficult to find, so it might be more common than it appears to be. It is reasonably common in the Comoé National Park (Ivory Coast). The populations might fluctuate significantly. It is believed to be an adaptable species that is not facing significant threats. [1]
The Comoé National Park is a Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Zanzan and Savanes Districts of north-eastern Ivory Coast. It is the largest protected area in West Africa, with an area of 11,500 km2, and ranges from the humid Guinea savanna to the dry Sudanian zone. This steep climatic north-south gradient allows the park to harbour a multitude of habitats with a remarkable diversity of life. Some animal and plant species even find their last sanctuary in some of the different savanna types, gallery forests, riparian grasslands, rock outcrops or forest islands.
Afrixalus weidholzi is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is Weidholz's banana frog or Weidholz's leaf-folding frog.
Hyperolius concolor, also known as the variable reed frog or Hallowell's sedge frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in West and Middle Africa.
Hyperolius fusciventris is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in West and Middle Africa between Sierra Leone in the west and western Cameroon in the east. Common name lime reed frog has been coined for this species.
Hyperolius guttulatus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in West and Middle Africa between Sierra Leone in the west and Gabon in the east/south. Common name dotted reed frog has been coined for this species.
Hyperolius picturatus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in northern and eastern Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana; its range might extend to Togo. Common names coined for this species are Tanzania reed frog and variable montane sedge frog.
Kassina cochranae, sometimes known as the Cochran's running frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, western Ivory Coast, and at least tentatively, southern Ghana. Kassina arboricola was for a period treated as a subspecies Kassina cochranae arboricola, but it is now considered a valid species.
Kassina schioetzi is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Ivory Coast and extreme southeastern Guinea. Its range probably extends into northwestern Ghana.
The savannah forest tree frog or ground tree frog, Leptopelis bufonides, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It occurs in West and Middle Africa. The relationship of this species with Leptopelis bocagei is not fully settled.
Leptopelis macrotis, sometimes called the big-eyed forest tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the rainforests of Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and southern Ghana. Notice that similar common name "big-eyed tree frog" is sometimes used for Leptopelis vermiculatus from Tanzania and for Litoria exophthalmia from New Guinea.
The Tai forest tree frog, Leptopelis occidentalis, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in Liberia, southern Ivory Coast, and Ghana. Records from Nigeria are controversial and may refer to other species, possibly Leptopelis boulengeri.
Leptopelis viridis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is widely distributed in the West and Central African savanna zone between Senegal and the Gambia to the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Opisthothylax is a monotypic frog genus in the family Hyperoliidae. The sole species is Opisthothylax immaculatus, also known as the gray-eyed frog . It is found in southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, western Republic of Congo, and southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It might also be present in the Cabinda Enclave of Angola and in the Central African Republic.
Aubria subsigillata, commonly known as the brown ball frog or the West African brown frog, is a species of frog belonging to the family Pyxicephalidae. It has a discontinuous distribution from southern Guinea through Liberia and Ivory Coast, and from Nigeria to southern Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea to Gabon. However, the species delimitation differs between sources, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has adopted a narrower view where this species only occurs in Cameroon and southward.
Ptychadena submascareniensis is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. This West African frog is found on the Nimba Range of Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia, and on the Loma Mountains of Sierra Leone.
Ptychadena trinodis is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. Its common name is Dakar grassland frog. It is widely distributed in West and Middle Africa, and following the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), occurs in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. Further, records are missing from Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Niger, South Sudan, and Sudan, but it is presumed to be present in these countries too.
Leptopelis spiritusnoctis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in West Africa from Guinea to the Niger Delta in Nigeria, the intervening countries being Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. This species was previously known as Leptopelis hyloides, but that name is actually a junior synonym of Leptopelis viridis.
Kassina jozani is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Tanzania and only known from the Jozani Forest on the Unguja Island (Zanzibar).