Arthroleptis schubotzi

Arthroleptis schubotzi, also known as the Burundi screeching frog,[2] Schubotz's squeaker, and Kivu dwarf litter frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the African Rift Valley in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kivu), southwestern Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and western Uganda.[1][2] There are taxonomic problems in delimiting this species.[1]

Burundi Screeching Frog
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Arthroleptis
Species:
A. schubotzi
Binomial name
Arthroleptis schubotzi
Nieden, 1911
Synonyms[2]
  • Schoutedenella discodactyla Laurent, 1954
  • Schoutedenella kivuensis de Witte, 1941
  • Arthroleptis discodactyla – Laurent, 1957
  • Schoutedenella schubotzi – Laurent, 1985
  • Arthroleptis kivuensis – Gorham, 1974

Etymology

The specific name honours the German zoologist Johann G. Hermann Schubotz (1881–1955).[3]

Description

A. schubotzi is a very small Arthroleptis species: adult males measure 19–21 mm (0.7–0.8 in) and adult females 17–23 mm (0.7–0.9 in) in snout–vent length.[4][5] The tympanum is distinct and half the size of the eye. The legs are short. The belly is pigmented. Colouration is cryptic and commonly involves a dark spot on the head. Males have a black throat.[5]

The male advertisement call is a harsh series of double chirps.[5]

Habitat and conservation

Arthroleptis schubotzi occurs in closed tropical forest, forest edges, savanna, and agricultural areas outside forest at elevations of approximately 1,460–2,800 m (4,790–9,190 ft) above sea level, perhaps wider. It is an adaptable leaf-litter species. It breeds by direct development, (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage[6]) thereby not depending on water.[1]

Specific threats to this species are unknown, but it probably will not tolerate complete opening of its habitat. It is occurs in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Kibale and Bwindi National Parks in Uganda.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Arthroleptis schubotzi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T45550902A18363348. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T45550902A18363348.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Arthroleptis schubotzi Nieden, 1911". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
  4. Blackburn, David C. (2009). "Description and phylogenetic relationships of two new species of miniature Arthroleptis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania". Breviora. 517: 1–17. doi:10.3099/0006-9698-517.1.1. S2CID 89821831.
  5. Liedtke, H. Christoph; Isabelle Maiditsch & Jacob Ng’wava (2011). "A bioacoustic and morphometric account of Albertine Rift litter frog, Artholeptis schubotzi (Amphibia: Anura)" (PDF). Tropical Biology Association. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  6. Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.
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