Leptopelis montanus

Leptopelis montanus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Arthroleptidae
Genus:	Leptopelis
Species:	L. montanus
Binomial name
	Leptopelis montanus; Tiutenko and Zinenko, 2021

Last updated December 07, 2024

Leptopelis montanus, the ocellated burrowing treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae.^[1] It is endemic to Ethiopia, and is a parapatric cryptid of the L. gramineus complex that resides in the Harenna Forest of south-eastern Ethiopia.^[2]L. montanus resides in the Bale and Arsi mountain highlands to the east of the Rift Valley.

Description

Leptopelis montanus has a small body size, and the digital discs on fingers and toes are significantly more distinct than in other semi-fossorial members of the L. gramineus complex. Both L. gramineus and L. montanus, however, have discs that are virtually absent in comparison with their close relatives, namely L. diffidens. In the examined specimens of L. montanus the digital discs are more of a delicate padding, with the tips of the toes more narrow than the phalanges.^[2]

Females within L. montaus are generally larger than their male counterparts. Compared to other frogs within the L. gramineus complex, L. montanus has a dorsal skin pattern of scattered blotches and ocelli. They do not typically have the continuous black lateral bands that are seen in L. diffidens.^[2]

Communication

Males often call from water-encircled tussocks or tall and dense grass at pool margins and puddles, where they sit near the root of the gross as opposed to on the grass or in the water. The calls are relatively feeble compared to the loud calls of the surrounding organisms in their environment, and the frogs will stop calling and remain silent for several minutes once approached. It has been observed that calling individuals and call frequency both increase during the rainy season (May–June) for L. montanus.^[2]

The call itself is classified as a 'quack' consisting of a single note containing five pulses. Pulse interval of ca. 20ms, and tone frequency around 344-3270 Hz,^[2] and there has been record of a "scream" occasionally preceding said 'quack'.^[3]

Taxonomic status

Due to erroneous type locality placement upon first encounter with this species, L. montanus had originally been described as Pseudocassina ocellata.,^[4] a species that had been later synonymized with L. gramineus.^[3] Once resolved to its proper locality, it was resurrected as a valid species under the description L. ocellatus, with the proposed vernacular "ocellated burrowing treefrog" due to its coloration. L. ocellatus being already in use by a species in West Africa, the name was then adjusted to L. montanus.^[2]

Related Research Articles

The Arthroleptidae are a family of frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. This group includes African treefrogs in the genus Leptopelis along with the terrestrial breeding squeakers Arthroleptis, and several genera restricted to the Guinean forests of central and west Africa, such as the hairy frog (Trichobatrachus).

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.

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.

Leptopelis bequaerti is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Liberia and only known from its type locality, Gbarnga, and from Mount Coffee. Common name Gbanga forest treefrog has been coined for it. It is a poorly known species with uncertain taxonomic validity.

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.

Leptopelis fiziensis, also known as the Mokanga forest tree frog or Fizi tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, on both sides of Lake Tanganyika, and it is likely to occur in Burundi, in between the two know areas of distribution.

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 gramineus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Ethiopia and occurs on the Ethiopian Highlands on both sides of the Great Rift Valley. Common names Badditu forest treefrog and Ethiopian burrowing tree frog have been coined for it.

Leptopelis karissimbensis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the highlands of western Rwanda and southwestern Uganda and in the adjacent eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is very similar to Leptopelis kivuensis and has been confused with that species. Common names Karissimbi forest treefrog and Karissimbi tree frog have been coined for it.

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.

Leptopelis millsoni is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. 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. Common names Niger forest treefrog and Millson's tree frog have been coined for it. There is a need of taxonomic revision of this taxon.

The ocellated forest tree frog is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, and possibly Angola and the Central African Republic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, swamps, and heavily degraded former forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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 ragazzii is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. The species is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands on both sides of the Great Rift Valley. Common names Ragazzi's tree frog and Shoa forest treefrog have been coined for it. It is named after Vincenzo Ragazzi (1856–1929), from the Modena Natural History Society, who explored and collected in Ethiopia.

Leptopelis susanae is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to southwest Ethiopia and known from the Gughe Mountains and Saja Forest. The specific name susanae honours Susan, the wife of the describer, Malcolm Largen. Common names Susan's tree frog and Susana's [sic] forest treefrog have been coined for this species.

Leptopelis vannutellii is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to the highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. Common names Vannutelli's tree frog and Dime forest treefrog have been coined for it. It is named after Leonardo Vannutelli, Italian navy officer who joined Vittorio Bottego's second expedition to East Africa.

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Leptopelis diffidens is a species of frog from the genus Leptopelis. It's native to highlands in Ethiopia. It's found in elevations of 1,400 and 2,300 m. It was described by Tiutenko and Zinenko in 2021.

References

↑ Frost, Darrel R. (1999). "Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference". doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
1 2 3 4 5 6 Tiutenko, Arthur; Zinenko, Oleksandr (2021-03-11). "Supplementary material 7 from: A new species of Leptopelis (Anura, Arthroleptidae) from the south-eastern slope of the Ethiopian Highlands, with notes on the Leptopelis gramineus species complex and the revalidation of a previously synonymised species". ZooKeyes (1023): 119–150. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1023.53404.suppl7 .
1 2 Largen, M. J. (January 1977). "The Status of the Genus Leptopelis (Amphibia Anura Hyperoliidae) in Ethiopia, Including Descriptions of Two New Species". Monitore Zoologico Italiano. Supplemento. 9 (1): 85–136. doi: 10.1080/03749444.1977.10736845 . ISSN 0374-9444.
↑ Ahl, Ernst (February 1924). "Über eine Froschsammlung aus Nordost-Afrika und Arabien". Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Zoologisches Museum und Institut für Spezielle Zoologie (Berlin) (in German). 11 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1002/mmnz.19670430109.

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[1] ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (1999). "Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference". doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[:0-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tiutenko, Arthur; Zinenko, Oleksandr (2021-03-11). "Supplementary material 7 from: A new species of Leptopelis (Anura, Arthroleptidae) from the south-eastern slope of the Ethiopian Highlands, with notes on the Leptopelis gramineus species complex and the revalidation of a previously synonymised species". ZooKeyes (1023): 119–150. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1023.53404.suppl7 .

[:1-3] 1 2 Largen, M. J. (January 1977). "The Status of the Genus Leptopelis (Amphibia Anura Hyperoliidae) in Ethiopia, Including Descriptions of Two New Species". Monitore Zoologico Italiano. Supplemento. 9 (1): 85–136. doi: 10.1080/03749444.1977.10736845 . ISSN 0374-9444.

[4] Ahl, Ernst (February 1924). "Über eine Froschsammlung aus Nordost-Afrika und Arabien". Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Zoologisches Museum und Institut für Spezielle Zoologie (Berlin) (in German). 11 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1002/mmnz.19670430109.

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