Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus

Last updated

Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Phrynobatrachidae
Genus: Phrynobatrachus
Species:
P. phyllophilus
Binomial name
Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus
Rödel  [ fr ] and Ernst, 2002 [2]

Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. [3] [4] Prior to its description in 2002, it was confused with Phrynobatrachus guineensis , [2] [3] one of its closest relatives. [4] The specific name phyllophilus is derived from the Greek phyllon for leaves and philein for loving. It refers to on the close association of this species with leaf litter. [2] [4]

Contents

Description

Adult males measure 12–17 mm (0.47–0.67 in) and adult females 15–23 mm (0.59–0.91 in) in snout–vent length. The snout is moderately pointed. The tympanum is small but distinct. The digits are enlarged to discs. The fingers are unwebbed but the toes are moderately webbed. Roughness of the skin changes within individuals; skin is normally smooth in reproductive males. The dorsal colouration ranges from beige to dark brown. There are black lateral bands. Flanks have sometimes clear spots on flanks, ranging from white, yellow, yellow with a red central part, or red with a fine orange border in colour. There might be a broad orange to red transverse band may cross the back. There is one (occasionally two even three) dark transverse bar on femur and tibia. The belly is white. Throat is black in reproductive males but can be almost white with few blacks spots in non-reproductive males. Females have white to gray throats with irregular dark spots and patches. [2] [4]

The male advertisement call is a series of different brief "clicks" with a metallic quality. [2] [4]

The tadpoles are uniformly brown with hyaline fin carrying few small dots. The largest tadpoles (ready to metamorphose) measure 13 mm (0.51 in) in total length, including a 5 mm body. Metamorphosed froglets measure about 5 mm (0.20 in) in snout–vent length. [2] [4]

Habitat and ecology

Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus occur in swampy parts of primary rainforest at elevations up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level, possibly higher. [1] They live in leaf litter. [2] The eggs are deposited terrestrially close to water, [1] [2] the only Phrynobatrachus known to do so. [2] The tadpoles develop in extremely small puddles. [1] [2] The diet consists mostly of insects, particularly coleopterans. [5]

Conservation

Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus is a very common species. It is negatively impacted by habitat loss caused by agricultural development, logging, and expanding human settlements. It might also be locally threatened by mining activities. It occurs in several protected areas, including the Taï National Park (where its type locality is [2] [3] ), Mont Péko National Park, and Mount Nimba World Heritage Site. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Arthroleptis variabilis</i> Species of amphibian

Arthroleptis variabilis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the lowlands of eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Earlier records west from Nigeria refer to other species, including Arthroleptis krokosua described in 2008. Common names Buea screeching frog and variable squeaker frog have been coined for it.

<i>Mannophryne trinitatis</i> Species of amphibian

The yellow-throated frog, Trinidadian stream frog, Trinidad stream frog, or Trinidad poison frog is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae that is endemic to the island of Trinidad in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Mannophryne venezuelensis from the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela were formerly included in this species.

<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>Acanthixalus spinosus</i> Species of frog

Acanthixalus spinosus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae, the sedge and bush frogs. It is native to Africa, where it can be found in southeastern Nigeria and south- and eastward to Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. It is also presumed to occur in the intervening/adjacent countries of Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic. Common name African wart frog has been coined for this species.

Kassina schioetzi is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Ivory Coast and extreme southeastern Guinea. Its range probably extends into northwestern Ghana.

Telmatobius vilamensis is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to northern Chile and only known from its type locality, Río Vilama near San Pedro de Atacama. The specific name vilamensis refers to the type locality.

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 calcaratus</i> Species of frog

Phrynobatrachus calcaratus, the Boutry river frog or Peters' puddle frog, is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in West Africa and Middle Africa. However, this nominal species is a species complex consisting of several species.

<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 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 gutturosus, the Chabanaud's river frog or guttural puddle frog, is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, possibly Benin, possibly Burkina Faso, possibly Guinea, possibly Mali, possibly Togo, and possibly Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, moist savanna, swampland, and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Phrynobatrachus irangi is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Kenya and is known only from two localities, its type locality, the eponymous Irangi Forest on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, and Kimande on the south-eastern slopes of the Aberdare Range. Common name Irangi puddle frog has 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 ogoensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Gabon and is known from its type locality, Lambaréné in the Moyen-Ogooué Province, and from the Ramba Village in the Ogooué-Ivindo Province, in the buffer zone of the Lopé National Park.

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 taiensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to Ivory Coast and only known from its type locality, Taï Forest in the Taï National Park. There are concerns about taxonomic validity of this species. Common name Tai river frog has been coined for it.

Phrynobatrachus tokba is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in West Africa from Ghana westward to Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau. Common names Tokba river frog, Tokba puddle frog, and—when referring to the formerly recognized Phrynobatrachus alticola, forest river frog—have been proposed for it.

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.

<i>Leptopelis spiritusnoctis</i> Species of frog

Leptopelis spiritusnoctis is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in West Africa from Guinea to the Niger Delta in Nigeria, the intervening countries being Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. This species was previously known as Leptopelis hyloides, but that name is actually a junior synonym of Leptopelis viridis.

Leptobrachium mangyanorum is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to the Philippines and known with certainty only from the island of Mindoro, although it might also occur on the nearby Semirara Island. Even though this species was formally described only in 2010, Edward Harrison Taylor had already in 1920s recognized that it is distinct from Leptobrachium hasseltii, the name used for Philippine Leptobrachium at the time. Common name Mindoro litter frog has been coined for this species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T58134A16929118. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T58134A16929118.en . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Ernst, Raffael (2002). "A new Phrynobatrachus from the Upper Guinean rain forest, West Africa, including a description of a new reproductive mode for the genus". Journal of Herpetology. 36 (4): 561–571. doi:10.2307/1565925. JSTOR   1565925.
  3. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus Rödel and Ernst, 2002". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Breda Zimkus (2014). "Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus Rödel and Ernst, 2002". African Amphibians. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Kouamé, N. G.; Tohé, B.; Assemian, N. E.; et al. (2008). "Prey composition of two syntopic Phrynobatrachus species in the swamp forest of Banco National Park, Ivory Coast". Salamandra. 44 (3): 177–186.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.