Kassina fusca

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Kassina fusca
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Kassina
Species:
K. fusca
Binomial name
Kassina fusca
Schiøtz  [ fr ], 1967

Kassina fusca is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] Its common name is brown running frog or pale running frog. [1] [2] [3] It is found in the West African savanna zone in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Nigeria. [1] [2] It probably occurs in Guinea-Bissau, although there are no records from there. [2]

Contents

Description

Kassina fusca is a terrestrial frogs that moves by walking rather than jumping. They are small frogs measuring 29–33 mm (1.1–1.3 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsum is brown with scattered small darker spots (sometimes indistinct) and a larger, irregular, X-shaped spot in the shoulder region. There are small discs on the fingers. [4]

Association with ants

Kassina fusca have been found in nests of pomerine ants Paltothyreus tarsatus and Megaponera analis . These ants are large (up to 18 and 25 mm in body length, respectively) and have powerful mandibles, poison glands, and stings, and would be able to kill the frog. Yet experiments showed that they were never seriously attacked by Paltothyreus tarsatus. This is possible because of chemical components of the frogs' skin, [5] offering the frog a degree of "chemical camouflage". [6] The benefit of this association is that the ant nests provide Kassina fusca hiding places that remain moist during the dry season; such places are in short supply in the savanna and tend to be occupied by ants. [5] Another species showing a similar association is Phrynomantis microps . [5] [6]

Habitat and conservation

Kassina fusca occurs in dry savanna and savanna woodlands. Breeding takes in temporary water, preferably large, well-vegetated, shallow pools. It is very common where it has been found, but the known distribution is patchy; it is often overlooked. It is believed to be an adaptable species that is not facing significant threats. It occurs in some protected areas, [1] including the Comoé National Park. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kassina</i> Genus of amphibians

Kassina is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs or kassinas. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more traditional frog-hopping.

<i>Acanthixalus spinosus</i> Species of frog

Acanthixalus spinosus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae, the sedge and bush frogs. It is native to Africa, where it can be found in southeastern Nigeria and south- and eastward to Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. It is also presumed to occur in the intervening/adjacent countries of Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic. Common name African wart frog has been coined for this species.

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.

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

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.

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

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 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 igbettensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in West Africa from Guinea eastward to Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin, Nigeria, and into Central Africa at least to Cameroon but likely further east to the Central African Republic and southwestern Chad; the eastern border of distribution of this species relative to other members in the Hyperolius nasutus complex is unclear. Common name Igbetti long reed frog has been coined for it. The type locality is near Igbetti, a village in Oyo State, Nigeria.

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

Hyperolius occidentalis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is western reed frog. It is found in the coastal lowlands of westernmost West Africa in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.

Hyperolius sylvaticus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, and western Cameroon, with a gap in Benin. It is also likely to occur in Liberia. Common name Bobiri reed frog has been coined for this species.

Hyperolius torrentis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is known from the Akwapim-Togo Ranges along the border between Ghana and Togo as well as from northeastern Benin. Common name Ukami reed frog has been coined for this species.

Hyperolius wermuthi is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, southern Guinea, and Liberia. The correct name for this species is likely Hyperolius soror. It is so similar to Hyperolius fusciventris that it has likely been overlooked elsewhere in West Africa. Common name Wermuth's reed frog has been coined for this species.

Kassina cassinoides, also known as large running frog or silver running frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Cameroon and—disjunctly—in West Africa, specifically in in Senegal, the Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. It might occur more broadly, and presumably occurs in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, and Mauritania.

Kassina kuvangensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in south-central Angola and northern and western Zambia. Its range probably extends into the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also known as the Kuvangu running frog, Kuvango running frog, and Kuvangu kassina.

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.

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

Leptopelis aubryi, also known as the Aubry's tree frog and Gaboon forest treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, western and northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola.

Savannah forest tree frog Species of amphibian

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.

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 oryi, also known as the Garamba forest treefrog and Ory's tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northwestern Uganda, and adjacent South Sudan. It is morphologically similar to Leptopelis nordequatorialis from Cameroon, and has also been considered its synonym, but is currently treated as a distinct species. The specific name oryi honours Albert Ory, warden in the Garamba National Park, the type locality of this species.

<i>Leptopelis viridis</i> Species of frog

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Kassina fusca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T56228A18385306. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56228A18385306.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Kassina fusca Schiøtz, 1967". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Kassina fusca Schiøtz, 1967". African Amphibians. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Kassina fusca". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Braun, Ulrich (1999). "Associations between anurans and ants in a West African savanna (Anura: Microhylidae, Hyperoliidae, and Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Biotropica. 31 (1): 178–183. doi:10.2307/2663971. JSTOR   2663971.
  6. 1 2 Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Brede, Christian; Hirschfeld, Mareike; Schmitt, Thomas; Favreau, Philippe; Stöcklin, Reto; Wunder, Cora; Mebs, Dietrich; Pratt, Stephen C. (11 December 2013). "Chemical camouflage – a frog's strategy to co-exist with aggressive ants". PLOS ONE. 8 (12): e81950. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...881950R. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081950 . PMC   3859521 . PMID   24349157.
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