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 (corresponding author)
Author
Mark-Oliver, Annemarie Ohler
Author
Luca, Mark-Oliver Rödel
Author
Alain, Luca Luiselli
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
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
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
(Smith, 1849)
(
Fig. 11E
)
MATERIAL
EXAMINED
. —
Togo
•
3 ♂
,
2 ♀
; Alédjo; MNHN- RA-2008.0158-0162 •
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
; Aou Losso; MNHN- RA-2008.0197, MNHN-RA-2008.0198 •
6 ♂
,
2 ♀
; Koui; MNHN-RA-2008.0163-0170 •
2 ♂
,
1 ♀
;
Klonou
; MRAC B-104266, MRAC B-104267, MRAC B-104271
•
3 ♂
,
1 ♀
;
Séva
(sur la route
de Kpalimé
); MRAC B-104324-B-104327
.
ADDITIONAL
MATERIAL
. —
RD
Congo
•
3 ♂
,
2 ♀
; Kaziaba; MRAC B-71720, MRAC B-71722-71725.
DESCRIPTION
. — Frog of medium size (SVL
25.4-31.1 mm
♂
,
27.6-35.5 mm
♀
), with a stocky body. Snout short, oval, barely exceeding mouth slit. Head massive, as long as broad (HW 30-45% SVL; HL%30-41% SVL).Tympanum distinct (TYD 6-10% SVL). Hind leg rather long (TL 44-56% SVL). Webbing small, leaving three phalanges free; webbing formula: I 1 – 2 II 1 – 3 III 2 – 3 IV 3 – 2 V. Back with distinctly protruding warts; flanks with small glandular warts; distinct supratympanic fold, from the posterior end of the eye to the shoulder; dorsal parts of forearm, tarsus and shank shagreen, that of thigh bearing numerous glandular granules; ventral and posterior sides of the thighs shagreen; throat, chest and belly smooth.
COLOURATION
. — The general colouration of the back is brown (dark brown when stored in alcohol) or grayish, more or less dark. In some specimens, spinules give the appearance of dark and light spots of irregular shape. The dorsal parts of forearm, tarsus, tibia and thigh have dark and light transverse bars. The rear side of the thigh is marbled with dark and light longitudinal bands of approximately the same size. The chest, belly and ventral side of the thigh are whitish. The throat is white with some brown spots in females and juveniles.
SEXUAL
DIMORPHISM
. — The males are smaller than the females and have a subgular vocal sac marked by longitudinal gular folds, heavily pigmented, thus showing a dark gray or black colour.
HABITATS
AND
DISTRIBUTION
. —
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
is essentially a Guinean savannah species. It is also associated with dense dry forest and open forest ecosystems characteristic of ecological zone II. The species is relatively common in the Koui region and in the Alédjo forest. It is found especially near ponds, small swamps, and small rivers in savannah in the rainy season. The species has been reported in
Togo
by
Bourgat (1979)
and
Segniagbeto
et al.
(2007
,
2022
).