Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi

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Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi
Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Phrynobatrachidae
Genus: Phrynobatrachus
Species:
P. jimzimkusi
Binomial name
Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi
Zimkus, Gvoždík, and Gonwouo, 2013 [2]

Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. [1] [3] [4] It is found in submontane and montane regions within the Cameroon volcanic line (Mount Manengouba, Bamboutos Mountains, Mount Lefo, and Mount Oku) as well as the adjacent Obudu Plateau in the southeast of Nigeria. [1] [3] It is named after James (Jim) Zimkus by his wife, Breda Zimkus, the first author of the species description. [2] [4] Common name Jim Zimkus' puddle frog has been proposed for this species. [1] [3] [4]

Contents

Description

Adult males measure 32–34 mm (1.3–1.3 in) and adult females 29–32 mm (1.1–1.3 in) in snout–vent length. The body shape is compact and the hind limbs are strong. The tympanum is indistinct or only scarcely visible; supratympanic fold is present. Fingers lack webbing and have small but distinct discs. Toes are moderately to extensively webbed and have small discs. Dorsal coloration varies from medium to dark brown. Coloration may appear uniform but typically includes some lighter and darker spots. Some individuals have a thick, light brown mid-dorsal stripe. Ventral coloration is similarly mottled in the pectoral and abdominal regions. [2]

Habitat and conservation

Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi occurs in calm, pool-like passages of rapid streams in montane forests, including stream-fringing forests in montane savanna, at elevations of 1,300–2,900 m (4,300–9,500 ft) above sea level. Furthermore, it can sometimes be found along streams in open grassland, especially at higher elevations, and can persist in very degraded habitats, even in those without canopy cover. [1] Females attach clutches of eggs in small groups to root hairs or vegetation floating in the water column. The tadpoles live in pools in streams. [1] [2] This species seems to be diurnal. [2]

Once locally abundant, this species has declined in recent years. Although conclusive evidence is lacking, the decline is similar to that caused by chytridiomycosis for other montane amphibians. It is also highly threatened by agricultural pressure including cattle grazing, use of herbicides and pesticides, burning of montane grasslands, and harvesting for firewood, as well as by expanding human settlements. It is present in the Cross River National Park in Nigeria. [1]

Related Research Articles

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.

<i>Phrynobatrachus</i> Genus of amphibians

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. The common name, puddle frog, refers to the fact that many species breed in temporary waterbodies such as puddles.

<i>Phrynobatrachus cricogaster</i> Species of amphibian

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.

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 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 krefftii is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, including both the West and East Usambaras and the Magrotto ridge. The specific name krefftii honours Paul Krefft, a German herpetologist and physician who made several expeditions to Africa. Common names Krefft's river frog and Krefft's puddle frog have been coined for it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natal dwarf puddle frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Natal dwarf puddle frog is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burkina Faso, Chad, Lesotho, and Mauritania.

<i>Phrynobatrachus parvulus</i> Species of frog

Phrynobatrachus parvulus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in the upland areas of Central and East Africa in Angola, northern Botswana, northern Zimbabwe, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and Tanzania. However, many identifications are problematic, and the taxonomic status of this species with respect to Phrynobatrachus mababiensis and P. ukingensis requires clarification; in the more inclusive species delimitation applied by the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, also Uganda is tentatively included in the range of this species. Common names Loanda river frog, dwarf puddle frog, and little puddle frog have been proposed for this species.

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 stewartae, also known as the Stewart's puddle frog or Stewart's river frog, is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in northern Malawi and south-central and western Tanzania. The specific name stewartae honours Margaret M. Stewart, an American herpetologist who wrote "Amphibians of Malawi" (1967) and collected the type series, originally identified as Phrynobatrachus gutturosus.

Phrynobatrachus sulfureogularis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is known from the Massif of Nanzergwa, its type locality in the Bururi Province of western Burundi, and from the Mahale Mountains National Park in eastern Tanzania. The specific name sulfureogularis is derived from the Latin sulfur that refers to the element that is yellow in color and gula meaning throat, in reference to the bright yellow throat in breeding males. Common name central river frog has been coined for it.

Phrynobatrachus ukingensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is recorded in several places in southern and eastern Tanzania and in northern and southern Malawi ; it probably occurs more widely, at least in areas in between the known localities. Common names Ukinga puddle frog and Ukinga river frog have been coined for it.

Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to eastern Tanzania and is known from the Udzungwa, Uluguru, Nguu, and Nguru Mountains. Common names Ukinga puddle frog and Udzungwa puddle frog have been coined for this species.

Phrynobatrachus versicolor is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in northwestern Burundi, western Rwanda, southwestern Uganda, and adjacent eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Common names Rwanda river frog and green puddle frog have been coined for it. The specific name versicolor, derived from the Latin versare and color, and refers to its variable dorsal colouration.

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 africanus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, southwestern Central African Republic, western Republic of the Congo, and north-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its range might extend into Nigeria. The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, however, considers the limits of its range unknown and does not include the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the range.

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 chukuchuku, the spiny puddle frog, is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. They are endemic to Cameroon, and considered Critically Endangered.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T74724558A176941459. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T74724558A176941459.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Zimkus, Breda M. & Gvoždík, Václav (2013). "Sky Islands of the Cameroon Volcanic Line: a diversification hot spot for puddle frogs (Phrynobatrachidae: Phrynobatrachus)". Zoologica Scripta. 42 (6): 591–611. doi:10.1111/zsc.12029. S2CID   83994258.
  3. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi Zimkus, Gvoždík, and Gonwouo, 2013". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi Zimkus, Gvozdvik and Gonwouo, 2013". African Amphibians. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
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