Phrynobatrachus werneri

Phrynobatrachus werneri is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae.[2][3] It is only known with certainty from western Cameroon, although there is a putative record from Chappal Waddi in Nigeria, close to the border of Cameroon; the earlier record from the Obudu Plateau in Nigeria is now assigned to Phrynobatrachus schioetzi described as a new species in 2011.[2][4] The status of Phrynobatrachus manengoubensis from Mount Manengouba remains unclear, with some questioning its distinctness from Phrynobatrachus werneri.[2][4] Common name Werner's river frog has been coined for this species.[2][3][5]

Phrynobatrachus werneri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Phrynobatrachidae
Genus: Phrynobatrachus
Species:
P. werneri
Binomial name
Phrynobatrachus werneri
(Nieden, 1910)
Synonyms[2]
  • Arthroleptis werneri Nieden, 1910
  • Pseudarthroleptis werneri (Nieden, 1910)

Etymology

The specific name werneri honours Franz Werner, an Austrian explorer, zoologist, and herpetologist.[5]

Description

Phrynobatrachus werneri is a small species measuring 16–23 mm (0.6–0.9 in) in snout–vent length;[3] Blackburn and Rödel (2011) give range 17–22 mm (0.7–0.9 in) for adult males.[4] The tympanum is distinct. The tips of the digits are widened or expanded into small discs. The toes have no or only rudimentary webbing. The tympanic region is dark and shows a supratypanic ridge. Females are pale ventrally. Males have a black throat and some darker pigmentation on the chest and anterior of the belly.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Phrynobatrachus werneri is found in and around small bodies of water such as streams, roadside ditches, Raphia swamps and marshes in submontane and montane forest and grassland landscapes. It tolerates habitat alteration. Breeding takes place in still water, including marshes.[1]

It is a common and adaptable species that is not at serious risk from habitat change. It might occur in the Bafut-Ngemba Forest Reserve.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Phrynobatrachus werneri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T58151A18396512. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T58151A18396512.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Phrynobatrachus werneri (Nieden, 1910)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  3. "Phrynobatrachus werneri (Nieden, 1910)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  4. Blackburn, David C. & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2011). "A new puddle frog (Phrynobatrachidae: Phrynobatrachus) from the Obudu Plateau in eastern Nigeria". Herpetologica. 67 (3): 271–287. doi:10.1655/herpetologica-d-10-00046.1. JSTOR 41239002.
  5. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 231. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
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