Ptychadena submascareniensis

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Ptychadena submascareniensis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ptychadenidae
Genus: Ptychadena
Species:
P. submascareniensis
Binomial name
Ptychadena submascareniensis
(Guibé & Lamotte, 1953)
Synonyms

Rana submascareniensisGuibé and Lamotte, 1953

Ptychadena submascareniensis (common name: Guinea grassland frog) is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. This West African frog is found on the Nimba Range of Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia, and on the Loma Mountains of Sierra Leone. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Description

Ptychadena submascareniensis is a small frog species; males measure 26–29 mm (1.0–1.1 in) and females 26–33 mm (1.0–1.3 in) in snout–vent length. Males have paired, lateral vocal sacs. The dorsum has five pairs of longitudinal ridges; the skin between the ridges is slightly granulated. There are some scattered warts on the eyelids and on the flanks. The ventral skin is smooth. The head is longer than wide and with a moderately pointed snout. The tympanum is ⅔ to ¾ of the eye diameter. The legs are long and slender. [3] [4] Male vocalizations are unknown. [4]

The tadpoles have a dark and ovoid body. The tail fin and axis are spotted, and the tail fin converges evenly towards the tip. Specimens 19–20 mm (0.75–0.79 in) in length have hind legs and are thus approaching metamorphosis. [4]

Habitat and conservation

The natural habitats of Ptychadena submascareniensis are savannas and grasslands. It breeds in shallow puddles. [1] On Mount Nimba, these frogs were found in shallow puddles in March–October. [4]

Because there is little recent information about this species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as "Data Deficient". Threats to it are unknown, but it probably is threatened by mining on Mount Nimba. It occurs in the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, [1] but is absent from Comoé National Park. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

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Nimba Range

The Nimba Range forms part of the southern extent of the Guinea Highlands. The highest peak is Mount Richard-Molard on the border of Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, at 1,752 m (5,750 ft). "Mount Nimba" may refer either to Mount Richard-Molard or to the entire range. Other peaks include Grand Rochers at 1694 m (5558 ft), Mont Sempéré at 1682 m (5518 ft), Mont Piérré Richaud at 1670 m (5479 ft), Mont Tô at 1675 m (5495 ft), and Mont LeClerc 1577 m (5174 ft), all of them are located in Guinea. Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve of Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire covers significant portions of the Nimba Range.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Ptychadena submascareniensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T58526A18401896. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T58526A18401896.en . Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Ptychadena submascareniensis (Guibé and Lamotte, 1953)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Ptychadena submascareniensis (Guibé and Lamotte, 1953)". African Amphibians. 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ptychadena submascareniensis". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.