Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus

Last updated

Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus
Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Phrynobatrachidae
Genus: Phrynobatrachus
Species:
P. perpalmatus
Binomial name
Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus
Boulenger, 1898
Synonyms [2]
  • Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus werneri Ahl, 1924

Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in the area stretching from the central and southern Sudan southward through South Sudan and central/eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, extreme western Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia to northern Mozambique; [1] [2] [3] its range might extend into northern Zimbabwe. [1] [2] Common names Lake Mwero river frog [lower-alpha 1] and webbed puddle frog have been proposed for it. [2]

Contents

Description

Males grow to 25 mm (1.0 in) and females to 30 mm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length. The body is elongated but short. The snout is rounded. The finger tips are not dilated whereas the toe tips bear small discs; the toes are fully or almost fully webbed. The dorsum is brown and may have a light vertebral stripe. Black, pale-edged bands run from behind the eyes to the groin. Males have a subgular vocal sac that is unpigmented or has black speckling. [3]

The male advertisement call is metallic clicking or a very coarse croak. [3]

Habitat and conservation

Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus occurs in permanently wet habitats in humid savanna, grassland, and rainforest as well as degraded former forest [1] at elevations less than 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. [3] It has particular affinity to flooded grassland interspersed with reeds, its presumed breeding habitat. [1]

Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus can be locally very abundant, but its distribution tends to be patchy. Believed to be able to survive in wet areas in agricultural land (including rice paddies [3] ), it is probably adaptable and not facing other than localized threats. It is present in a number of protected areas. [1]

Notes

  1. Possibly in reference to its type locality, "about Lake Mwero" [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acanthixalus sonjae</i> Species of amphibian

Acanthixalus sonjae is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in south-western Ivory Coast and in south-western Ghana, and possibly in adjacent Liberia.

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

Phrynobatrachus acridoides is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in the lowlands of eastern Africa, from Kenya and southern Somalia in the north and southward to Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, and easternmost South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). Its range might extend into Eswatini in the south and westward to Uganda and Zambia. This widespread species has also many vernacular names: East African puddle frog, small puddle frog, eastern puddle frog, Zanzibar puddle frog, Zanzibar river frog, Mababe toad-frog, and Cope's toad-frog. It is morphologically and genetically most similar to Phrynobatrachus pakenhami, its sister species. However, the specific name acridoides appears to refer to its superficial similarity to the North American cricket frog Acris gryllus, of no close relation.

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

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 bullans is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in northern and central inland Tanzania, southern Ethiopia, and southwestern Kenya. Common name bubbling puddle frog has been coined for it.

<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 hylaios is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is known from southern Cameroon and western Republic of the Congo, although its range presumably extends into nearby Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It was first described as a subspecies of Phrynobatrachus werneri. The common name Foulassi river frog has 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.

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

Phrynobatrachus minutus is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Ethiopia and occurs in the central and southern parts of the country on both sides of the Rift Valley; its range may extend south to Kenya, perhaps further. Some earlier records from Ethiopia represent Phrynobatrachus inexpectatus, described as a new species in 2001. The specific name minutus refers to the small size of this frog. Common names tiny river frog and Ethiopian dwarf 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.

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 parkeri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to the west-central and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is only known from a few widely separated localities. It is similar to Phrynobatrachus acridoides(Cope, 1867), and it might be a synonym of the latter. The specific name parkeri honors Hampton Wildman Parker, an English zoologist and herpetologist. Common name Parker's river frog has been coined for it.

<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 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 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T58133A18395206. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Frost, Darrel R. (2021). "Phrynobatrachus perpalmatus Boulenger, 1898". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 272. ISBN   978-1-77584-512-6.