Mertensophryne usambarae

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Mertensophryne usambarae
Mertensophryne usambarae 2184910.jpg
Mertensophryne usambarae in Tanga, Tanzania
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Mertensophryne
Species:
M. usambarae
Binomial name
Mertensophryne usambarae
(Poynton and Clarke, 1999) [2]
Synonyms

Stephopaedes usambaraePoynton and Clarke, 1999 [3]

Mertensophryne usambarae (common name: Usambara forest toad) is a critically endangered species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the foothills of the East Usambara Mountains, northeastern Tanzania. [1] [2] [4] [5]

Contents

Description

Males measure up to 35 mm (1.4 in) and females up to 45 mm (1.8 in) in snout–vent length. The dorsum is brown with some weak marking; the ventral surface is immaculate or with some mottling. The parotoid glands are flattened. There is no tympanum. The legs are relatively short and densely covered with conical warts. [3] [4] [5]

Habitat and conservation

Mertensophryne usambarae is a terrestrial species that inhabits lowland forests not higher than 410 m (1,350 ft) above sea level. It can also persist in mildly disturbed, selectively logged forests. Its breeding biology is unknown, but some other Mertensophryne species breed in puddles among tree roots (e.g., Mertensophryne anotis [3] ), and this could apply to this species too. [1] Mertensophryne usambarae is ecologically similar to Mertensophryne micranotis , and these two species can co-occur. [4] [5]

The species is only known from three sites that are close to each other. It appears to be uncommon; i.e., three days of intensive survey effort in 2012 only revealed two specimens. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by agricultural encroachment, wood extraction, and human settlement. The known sites are all forest reserves (Kwamgumi, Segoma and Mtai Forest Reserves), but they are not well protected. Because of the very small range and threats to the habitat, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed this species as "Critically Endangered" in 2016. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Bleeding toad Species of amphibian

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Nectophrynoides wendyae, also known as the Uzungwe Scarp tree toad or Wendy's forest toad, is a terrestrial toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Tanzania and is only known from a single valley in the Udzungwa Mountains. The specific name wendyae honours Wendy Clarke, the describer's wife.

Rhaebo olallai is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Ecuador. Its common name is Tandayapa Andes toad, after its type locality, Tandayapa, in the Pichincha Province); the species has not been seen there after 1970, despite search efforts. It is only known from another locality in the Imbabura Province of Ecuador. It has also been reported from one locality on the Colombian Massif, Nariño Department, Colombia, but these have been shown to represent Rhaebo colomai.

<i>Atelopus chiriquiensis</i> Extinct species of amphibian

Atelopus chiriquiensis, the Chiriqui harlequin frog or Lewis' stubfoot toad, is an extinct species of toad in the family Bufonidae that was found in the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its natural habitats were stream margins in lower montane wet forests and rainforests. Its elevational range was 1,400–2,500 m (4,600–8,200 ft) asl.

Atelopus petriruizi, more commonly known as the painted stubfoof toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. Endemic to Colombia, the toad's natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. Threatened by habitat loss, the Ateopus petriruizi is currently classified as critically endangered, and was placed on the IUCN red list in 2017. Currently, there may be less than 49 remaining mature A. Petriruizi.

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Sclerophrys reesi, also known as Merara toad or Rees' toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to southern Tanzania and is only known from the Kihansi–Ulanga River floodplain from elevations of 200–500 m (660–1,640 ft) above sea level. It is named after Allen Rees, a principal game warden for the Tanzanian Wildlife Department who collected the type series.

Mertensophryne uzunguensis, also known as the Uzungwe toad, Udzungwa toad, and Udzungwa forest toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Tanzania and found in the Udzungwa Mountains and the Southern Highlands. Its natural habitats are swampy montane grasslands. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by afforestation with pines, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion. Whether its range includes the Udzungwa Mountains National Park is unknown.

<i>Mertensophryne</i> Genus of amphibians

Mertensophryne is a genus of true toads. They are found in eastern and southern Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, southeastern Zimbabwe, and adjacent Mozambique. Their common names include snouted frogs, Chirinda forest toads, and forest toads. The genus is named for Robert Mertens, German zoologist and herpetologist.

Nectophrynoides tornieri, Tornier's forest toad or kijula, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Tanzania. This species was first described by Jean Roux in 1906 and was named in honour of the German zoologist Gustav Tornier.

Nectophrynoides vestergaardi, also known as the Vestergaard's forest toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. It is named in honour of Martin Vestergaard, the Danish biologist who was the first to recognize that the population now described as Nectophrynoides vestergaardi was a new species.

The Chirinda toad, Chrinda forest toad, Mashonaland toad or Boulenger's earless toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae with a restricted distribution in eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique.

Mertensophryne howelli is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the coast of Tanzania and known from the Mafia Island and Zanzibar. The species is named after professor Jim Howell for his contributions to the herpetology of Tanzania.

The Mahenge toad or Loveridge's forest toad, Mertensophryne loveridgei, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Tanzania; its common name refers to the Mahenge Plateau where it can be found. Its natural habitats are tropical forests and woodlands. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.

Afrixalus uluguruensis is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is Uluguru banana frog. It is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and known from the Kipengere Range, Mahenge, Udzungwa Scarp, Rubeho, North Uluguru, Nguru, Ukaguru, and Nguu Mountains.

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

Hyperolius tanneri is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to the West Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania. Common name Tanner's reed frog has been coined for 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.

Ansonia endauensis is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Malay Peninsula and only known from the Endau-Rompin National Park in southern Peninsular Malaysia.

Ansonia latirostra is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and only known from two sites in the Pahang state, one near Sungai Lembing and another one near Mount Benom. It likely occurs more widely.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Mertensophryne usambarae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T54890A84397352. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T54890A84397352.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Mertensophryne usambarae (Poynton and Clarke, 1999)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Poynton, J. C.; Clarke, B. T. (1999). "Two new species of Stephopaedes (Anura: Bufonidae) from Tanzania, with a review of the genus". African Journal of Herpetology. 48 (1–2): 1–14. doi:10.1080/21564574.1999.9651065.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mertensophryne usambarae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Breda Zimkus (2014). "Mertensophryne usambarae (Poynton and Clarke, 1999)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
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