Phrynobatrachus | |
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A male and a female of Phrynobatrachus bibita | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Clade: | Ranoidea |
Family: | Phrynobatrachidae Laurent, 1941 |
Genus: | Phrynobatrachus Günther, 1862 |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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Phrynobatrachus is a genus of Sub-Saharan frogs that form the monogeneric family Phrynobatrachidae. Their common name is puddle frogs, dwarf puddle frogs, African puddle frogs, or African river frogs. [1] [2] [3] [4] The common name, puddle frog, refers to the fact that many species breed in temporary waterbodies such as puddles. [5]
Phrynobatrachus are among the most common amphibians in Africa. They are typically small (mostly less than 30 mm (1.2 in) [5] ), fast-moving frogs. They occupy a variety of habitats from dry savannas to rainforests. Most species deposit many small eggs as a surface clutch in standing or slowly moving water and have exotrophic tadpoles. [4]
Phrynobatrachidae has earlier been considered as a subfamily of Ranidae, but its recognition as a family is now well-established. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is probably most closely related to Petropedetidae and Pyxicephalidae [1] or Ptychadenidae. [4]
This large genus may be further divided into three major clades. These clades could be treated as different genera, but this arrangement is not yet in use. [1]
There are currently 96 species in this genus: [6]
Conraua, known as slippery frogs or giant frogs is a genus of large frogs from sub-Saharan Africa. Conraua is the only genus in the family Conrauidae. Alternatively, it may be placed in the family Petropedetidae.
Ptychadena is a genus of frogs in the grassland frog family, Ptychadenidae. They are distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as nilotic Egypt. The common names of this genus are ridged frogs and grass frogs. This type of family have many different characteristics such as the species, Ptychadena neumanni who have long hindlimbs and a large ear drum compared to the Ptychadena erlangeri, for example. They also have a unique bone structure which is a fusion between the presacral vertebrae and sacrum.
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.
Afrixalus, commonly known as the banana frogs, spiny reed frogs, cat's eye reed frogs, or leaf-folding frogs, is a genus of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. They occur in the Subsaharan Africa. They lay their eggs in vegetation above water, often folding leaves around the eggs for protection—hence the common name "leaf-folding frogs".
Hyperolius is a large genus of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae from Sub-Saharan Africa. The genus is known to exhibit Sexual dichromatism, a trait that is otherwise rare in frogs.
Phrynobatrachus latifrons, the Ahl's river frog or savanna puddle frog, is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found from Senegal in West Africa east to northern Cameroon and eastern Chad in western Central Africa. The IUCN Red List includes the following West African countries : Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Phrynobatrachus bequaerti is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in the mountains of north-western Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and western Rwanda. The specific name bequaerti honours Joseph Charles Bequaert, a Belgian botanist, entomologist, and malacologist and who collected the holotype from Mount Vissoke. Common name Vissoke river frog has been coined for this species.
Phrynobatrachus cricogaster is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in the mountains of western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria. Common name Nkongsamba river frog has been coined for it. The specific name cricogaster is derived from the Greek krikos for "ring" and gaster for "belly", in reference to the prominent ring pattern on its venter. Frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae are also known as puddle frogs, since they are often found near puddles in sub-Saharan Africa.
Phrynobatrachus graueri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and western Kenya. The specific name graueri honours Rudolf Grauer, Austrian explorer and zoologist who collected the holotype. Common names Rugege river frog and Grauer's puddle frog have been coined for it.
Phrynobatrachus guineensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, and western Ivory Coast. Common name Guinea river frog has been coined for it, although it is actually associated with drier parts of primary rainforest.
Phrynobatrachus keniensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found widely in the highlands of Kenya. It is also recorded from Mount Meru in northern Tanzania, but this might represent a different species. Common names Kenya River frog and upland puddle frog have been coined for it.
Phrynobatrachus kinangopensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to the Kenyan Highlands east of the Great Rift Valley. Both the scientific name and its common names, Kinangop river frog and Kinangop puddle frog, refer to its type locality, Mount Kinangop.
Phrynobatrachus pakenhami is a frog species in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Pemba Island off Tanzania. It is similar to Phrynobatrachus acridoides, its sister species, but the two species differ in ecology and male advertisement call. On the other hand, the recently described, supposed diminutive species P. nigripes was simply based on juveniles and subadults of P. pakenhami.
Phrynobatrachus rungwensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, central and northern Malawi, and east to southern and central Tanzania. It is also expected to occur in northeastern Zambia. Common names Rungwe puddle frog and Rungwe river frog have been coined for it. It is named after Mount Rungwe, its type locality.
Phrynobatrachus steindachneri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. The specific name steindachneri honours Franz Steindachner, an Austrian herpetologist and ichthyologist. This species is also known as Steindachner's puddle frog and Steindachner's river frog.
Phrynobatrachus werneri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is only known with certainty from western Cameroon, although there is a putative record from Chappal Waddi in Nigeria, close to the border of Cameroon; the earlier record from the Obudu Plateau in Nigeria is now assigned to Phrynobatrachus schioetzi described as a new species in 2011. The status of Phrynobatrachus manengoubensis from Mount Manengouba remains unclear, with some questioning its distinctness from Phrynobatrachus werneri. Common name Werner's river frog has been coined for this species.
Phrynobatrachus njiomock is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Cameroon and is only known from Mount Oku where it occurs near Lake Oku. It has not been observed after 2010 and might already be extinct. The specific name njiomock means "eleventh" in Oku language and refers to the name "Phrynobatrachus sp. 11" that Jean-Louis Amiet used in 1978 to refer to a specimen collected near Lake Oku. Common name Lake Oku puddle frog has been proposed for this species.
Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in submontane and montane regions within the Cameroon volcanic line as well as the adjacent Obudu Plateau in the southeast of Nigeria. It is named after James (Jim) Zimkus by his wife, Breda Zimkus, the first author of the species description. Common name Jim Zimkus' puddle frog has been proposed for this species.
Phrynobatrachus chukuchuku, the spiny puddle frog, is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. They are endemic to Cameroon, and considered Critically Endangered.