Amphibians of Togo: taxonomy, distribution and conservation status
Author
Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoudé
Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, BP 6057 Lomé, Togo, BP 1515, Lomé (Togo) and Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome (Italy)
gsegniagbeto@gmail.com
Author
Ohler, Annemarie
Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 30, F- 75005, Paris (France)
annemarie.ohler@mnhn.fr
Author
Rödel, Mark-Oliver
Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115 Berlin (Germany)
mo.roedel@mfn.berlin
Author
Luiselli, Luca
Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, BP 6057 Lomé, Togo, BP 1515, Lomé (Togo) & Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome (Italy)
l.luiselli@ideccngo.org & lucamaria.luiselli@uniroma3.it
Author
Dubois, Alain
Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 30, F- 75005, Paris (France)
alain.dubois@mnhn.fr
text
Zoosystema
2024
2024-10-08
46
25
631
670
https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/zoosystema2024v46a25.pdf
journal article
10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a25
1638-9387
13907152
D4AC1F89-AC34-43C4-9761-3F2015A02265
Sclerophrys togoensis
(
Ahl, 1924
)
(
Fig. 4C
)
MATERIAL
EXAMINED
. —
Togo
•
4 ♂
,
1 ♀
; Bismarckburg (currently
Yégué in Adélé
);
ZMB
27010,
ZMB
27011 (
3 specimens
)
•
1 ♀
;
Diguengue
;
ZMB 77821
.
DESCRIPTION
. — Medium to large toad (SVL
47.2-55.5 mm
♂
,
61.4 mm
♀
), with somewhat stocky body. Snout rounded. Head wider than long (HW 37-39% SVL; HL 33-36% SVL). Tympanum distinct (TYD 6-7% SVL). Tibia short (TL 41-43% SVL). Webbing small, leaving about three phalanges free; webbing formula: I 1 – 2 II 1 – 3 III 2 – 3 ½ IV 3 ½ – 2 V. Skin with flat warts on the back; flanks, thighs and legs short with warts bearing horny spinules. Belly granular. Parotoid glands narrow, long, almost smooth, nearly touching the eyelids.
COLOURATION
. — The dorsal colouration is characterised by brownish, whitish and black spots of irregular shapes. There is a transverse whitish band at the orbital level. The snout and anterior end of the head are brownish. The flanks have a brown to whitish spotted pattern. The dorsal part of forearm, arm, thigh and foot exhibit brown and whitish transverse bands.
SEXUAL
DIMORPHISM
. — The males have a subgular vocal sac indicated by a black colouration. They are often more robust and their forelegs stronger than those of females.
HABITATS
AND
DISTRIBUTION
. — The current knowledge of this species in
Togo
is based on two new vouchers collected in Diguengué. Beside the specimens used in the original description (
Ahl 1924
), its presence has also been reported by
Bourgat (1979)
in Tinkoro (now Tintro in Adélé). No further mention of the species has been made in recent works on the herpetofauna of
Togo
and adjacent
Ghana
(
Rödel & Agyei 2003
;
Leaché
et al.
2006
;
Hillers
et al.
2009
). However, this species has been frequently found in the rainforests of the western part of the Upper
Guinea
forest zone (e.g.
Rödel & Bangoura 2004
;
Rödel & Glos 2019
;
Gongomin
et al.
2019
). The current conservation status of this species in
Togo
is presumably critical because of the strong degradation of the remaining forests.