Arthroleptis sp. aff. variabilis, Matschie, 1893

Badjedjea, Gabriel, Masudi, Franck M., Akaibe, Benjamin Dudu & Gvoždík, Václav, 2022, Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 301) 16 (1), pp. 35-70 : 42

Arthroleptis sp. aff. variabilis

Fig. 4E .

Area: Yalokole, Yetee, Yotemankele.

Season/survey: Wet (May, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019).

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 022, 023, 025, 087, 547; IVB-H-CD 18371–18375.

Comments: A large Arthroleptis that is widespread in the central and northeastern DRC, although specimens from Kokolopori seem to be larger than those from other regions. It resembles A. variabilis Matschie, 1893 (type locality in southwestern Cameroon) but is stouter, and superficially similar to A. stenodactylus Pfeffer, 1893 from the savannas of the southeast. It seems to be mostly terrestrial, typically found jumping on the ground during the morning hours. Individuals of this species were mainly collected in the primary forest habitat. The individuals exhibited variable coloration from light to dark brown. A phylogeographic study of the A. variabilis complex will shed more light on the evolutionary history and taxonomy of these Squeaker Frogs (D.C. Blackburn et al., in prep.).

Figures

Fig. 4. Arthroleptids, Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa. (A) Arthroleptis phrynoides (female). (B) A. phrynoides, ventral view (same specimen as in A). (C) A. tuberosus procterae (female). (D) A. sp. aff. phrynoides (female). (E) A. sp. aff. variabilis (male). (F) A. sp. aff. xenochirus (male). (G) Cardioglossa congolia (male). (H) C. congolia, ventral view (same specimen as in G).