Integrative taxonomic revision of mantellid frogs of the genus Aglyptodactylus (Anura: Mantellidae)
Author
Köhler, Jörn
Author
Glaw, Frank
Author
Pabijan, Maciej
Author
Vences, Miguel
text
Zootaxa
2015
4006
3
401
438
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4006.3.1
9b8d3194-5435-46fb-92ee-301fd23b0782
1175-5326
240836
136F727A-1628-449F-B762-254371D27360
Aglyptodactylus securifer
Glaw, Vences & Böhme, 1998
Identity.
The species was described and diagnosed from Kirindy Forest in western
Madagascar
. It is well distinguished from
A. laticeps
by its narrower head, and from all other
Aglyptodactylus
by its larger inner metatarsal tubercle. Specimens from other western and northern localities (see below) generally agree in morphology with topotypic specimens. However, across its range as well as within single populations, the species exhibits considerable variation in dorsal colouration (see
Fig. 6
d‒f, j‒l). Molecular data from the
type
locality are still unavailable.
Call.
Call recordings of
A. securifer
were provided by Vences
et al.
(2006: CD1/Track 3), but have not yet been described in detail. Calls recorded at Ankarana on
13 February 2003
(
Fig. 8
) have a duration of 474‒509 ms and consist of a series of 2‒3 distinctly pulsed notes, with the initial note being the longest (note duration 277‒334 ms) followed by one or two shorter secondary notes (note duration 79‒134 ms). The last note usually is the shortest in all calls. Pulse rate is very similar in long and short notes, resulting in longer notes containing more pulses than shorter notes. Within notes, amplitude increases moderately from beginning to the end of notes, most distinctly in initial long notes. The dominant frequency range is approximately 2000‒3500 Hz, with maximum call energy at around 3000 Hz. Pulse repetition rate generally is in a similar range as in calls of
A. australis
and
A. madagascariensis
, but the calls of these species consist of one note
type
only, have longer inter-note intervals and longer call duration. The only other species of
Aglyptodactylus
emitting two note
types
is
A. inguinalis
but its note duration is very short and pulse rate within notes distinctly higher compared to
A. securifer
. For comparative numerical call parameters see Table 2.
Natural history.
Glos (2003)
and
Glos & Linsenmair (2004)
provided life history notes. The latter authors also described the tadpole.
Randrianiaina
et al.
(2011)
provided figures of
A. securifer
tadpoles and their mouthparts. A mating aggregation with numerous couples in axillary amplexus (males yellow, females brown) was figured by
Goodman & Benstead (2003: back cover)
and
Glos (2003)
. Explosive breeding at Kirindy has furthermore been documented in a BBC film.
Distribution.
This species is distributed at low-altitude localities in western and northern
Madagascar
(
Fig. 2
). For localities confirmed by genetic data see
Figure 1
. Total reported localities are as follows: Ampombofofo (
Megson
et al.
2009
), Analamera, two survey sites (
Rakotondravony 2006b
), Andavakoera, Forêt classée (
Rakotondravony 2006b
), Andranomanintsy (
Raselimanana 2008
), Ankara (
Rakotondravony & Goodman 2011
), Ankarana (Glaw & Vences 2007,
Raselimanana 2008
), Beanka (
Raselimanana 2013
), Berara (
Andreone
et al.
2001
), Forêt d’Ambre (D’Cruze
et al.
2008), Kelifely (
Rakotondravony & Goodman 2011
), Kirindy (Glaw
et al.
1998,
Glos 2003
), ten survey sites in the Loky-Manambato region (
Rakotondravony 2006a
), Makay (
Rakotondravony & Goodman 2011
), Manongarivo (Glaw & Vences 2007), Montagne des Français (D’Cruze
et al.
2007), Sahamalaza (
Raselimanana 2008
); Tsingy de Bemaraha (
Raselimanana 2008
,
Bora
et al.
2010
), and Windsor Castle (ZSM 2206/2007; unpublished).