A new small Phrynobatrachus (Amphibia: Anura: Phrynobatrachidae) from southern Cameroon

We describe a new small Phrynobatrachus species from southern Cameroon. The new species exhibits a combination of unique morphological characters and a distinctive colour pattern consisting of a black lateral face mask, a black throat in males, a white throat with uniform black lower mandibles in females and a white belly in both sexes. Morphologically it is characterized by small size, absence of an eyelid cornicle, presence of black spines on anterior part of vocal sac in males, spines on flanks, presence of discs on toe and finger tips, distinct webbing, absence of nuptial pads on male thumbs and scapular ridges converging in a straight line. Analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA revealed that the new species differs from 34 other West and Central African species of the genus by a minimum distance of 4.5% and is most similar to several Phrynobatrachus species which are almost all endemic to the Cameroon volcanic line or parts of it, i.e. P. chukuchuku (4.9, P. werneri (5.1, P. steindachneri (5.2, P. schioetzi (5.6, P. batesii (5.9, P. cricogaster (5.5, P. danko (6.1, and P. manengoubensis (6.1, respectively. The new species is most similar to P. batesii, which was described from forests close to the type locality of the new species. Morphologically the new species differs from P. batesii by much smaller size (<20 mm vs. 25-31 mm), shape of scapular ridges, belly colour, shorter shanks, absence of nuptial pads and presence of gular spines in breeding males.

Publication year:2012

Keywords:Phrynobatrachus batesii, Phrynobatrachus ruthbeateae sp nov., Central Africa, Dja Biosphere Reserve, Lower Guinea Forest, rainforest