Leptopelis millsoni

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Leptopelis millsoni
Leptopelis millsoni (10.3897-zse.90.7120) Figure 2 (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Leptopelis
Species:
L. millsoni
Binomial name
Leptopelis millsoni
(Boulenger, 1895)
Synonyms [2]

Hylambates millsoniBoulenger, 1895 "1894 [3]
Leptopelis guineensisAhl, 1929

Contents

Leptopelis millsoni is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. [2] Common names Niger forest treefrog [2] [7] (perhaps referring to the mouth of the Niger River, its type locality. [2] ) and Millson's Tree Frog have been coined for it. [2] [4] There is a need of taxonomic revision of this taxon. [2]

Etymology

The specific name millsoni refers to Mr. Alvan Millson, assistant colonial secretary in Lagos and the collector the two female syntypes. [3] [7]

Taxonomy

Leptopelis millsoni was described by the Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1895 based on the syntypes from the Niger Delta. [3] [8] Based on call characteristics and morphology, it has been suggested that the West African species Leptopelis macrotis is the same species (synonym) as L. millsoni, or its subspecies. A genetic comparisons between the eastern and the western species revealed clear differences, and also their calls differ in detail, strongly suggesting that they are distinct species. However, as these comparisons did not involve materials from the type locality of L. millsoni (the Niger delta), the question whether this name applies to the West African species (L. macrotis as currently defined) is not resolved. If this were the case, name Leptopelis guineensis would be available for the Central African species (L. millsoni as currently defined). It also remains possible that the Niger Delta species is distinct from both the eastern and the western species. [8]

Description

Adult males measure 40–49 mm (1.6–1.9 in) and females 74–87 mm (2.9–3.4 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsum is brown, with darker transverse bars, or green. The tibia has 4–5 bars, and the feet are fully webbed. The iris is rusty red. The tympanum is rather large. [5] [6]

The male advertisement call consists of single calls and has a "peculiar" acoustic quality. The call is similar to the call of Leptopelis notatus , and very similar to that of Leptopelis macrotis . [5] [6] However, the similarity of calls was refuted by Rödel and colleagues. [8]

Habitat and conservation

Leptopelis millsoni is an arboreal frog found in primary and secondary lowland rainforest, secondary growth, and palm plantations. It is typically found near large, slow-flowing watercourses; [1] the males call from branches close to such streams. [6] It does not survive in open, degraded habitats. If similar to other species of Leptopelis, it would lay eggs in a nest on the ground near water. It is a common species but its habitat is affected by habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion, logging, and human settlements. It occurs in a number of protected areas, including the Korup National Park in Cameroon. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Leptopelis</i> Genus of amphibians

Leptopelis is a genus of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae. They are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding Madagascar. It is placed in monotypic subfamily Leptopelinae, although this subfamily is not always recognized. They have a number of common names, including forest treefrogs, tree frogs, leaf-frogs, and big-eyed frogs.

<i>Astylosternus batesi</i> Species of frog

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<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.

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

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Leptopelis boulengeri is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and western Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is expected to be found in the Central African Republic and the Cabinda Enclave of Angola. Common name Victoria forest treefrog has been coined for it, apparently in reference to its type locality, "Victoria, Kamerun", now known as Limbe.

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

The Cameroon forest tree frog is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is expected to occur in southwestern Central African Republic and in the Republic of the Congo, but no records have been confirmed from those countries.

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

Leptopelis calcaratus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, the southwestern Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Common name Efulen forest treefrog has been coined for it.

Leptopelis christyi, also known as the Christy's tree frog or Christy's forest treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known with confidence from eastern and northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, southern and western Uganda, and northwestern Tanzania. It is likely to occur in Burundi and Rwanda, possibly ranging further in East Africa. There is an isolated population in Cameroon and Gabon that might represent a distinct species. The specific name christyi honours Dr. Cuthbert Christy, a British army doctor who collected the holotype.

<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.

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

Leptopelis kivuensis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of western Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, and in the extreme eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has been considered synonym of Leptopelis karissimbensis, and has been confused with that species. Common names Kisenyi forest treefrog and Kivu tree frog have been coined for it.

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

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.

Leptopelis modestus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. Its common names are modest forest treefrog and plain tree frog.

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

The Tai forest tree frog 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.

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.

<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>Leptopelis viridis</i> Species of frog

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

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Leptopelis millsoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T56265A18389014. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56265A18389014.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frost, Darrel R. (2021). "Leptopelis millsoni (Boulenger, 1895)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Boulenger, G. A. (1895). "Third report on additions to the batrachian collection in the Natural-History Museum". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1894: 640–646.
  4. 1 2 Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 214. ISBN   978-1-77584-512-6.
  5. 1 2 3 "Leptopelis millsoni (Boulenger, 1895)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Leptopelis millsoni". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 143. ISBN   978-1-907807-42-8.
  8. 1 2 3 Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Emmrich, Mike; Penner, Johannes; Schmitz, Andreas & Barej, Michael (2014). "The taxonomic status of two West African Leptopelis species: L. macrotis Schiøtz, 1967 and L. spiritusnoctis Rödel, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Arthroleptidae)". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 90 (1): 21–31. doi: 10.3897/zse.90.7120 .
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