Phrynobatrachus calcaratus (Peters, 1863)

Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoudé, Ohler, Annemarie, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Luiselli, Luca & Dubois, Alain, 2024, Amphibians of Togo: taxonomy, distribution and conservation status, Zoosystema 46 (25), pp. 631-670 : 651-652

Phrynobatrachus calcaratus (Peters, 1863)

( Fig. 11A )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 1 ♂; Agoté ; MNHN-RA-2008.0171 • 3 ♂; Alédjo ; MNHN-RA-2008.0175-0177 • 1 ♂; Akloa; Coll . GHS-W 0663 • 1 ♂; Atakpamé ; MNHN-RA-2006.2298 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Diguingué; Coll . GHS-W 0662, Coll . GHS-W 0665, MNHN-RA-2008.0133 • 11 ♂, 2 ♀; Dobadié ; MRAC B-104378-B-104380, MRAC B-104351-B-104360 • 1♂; Kloto ; MNHN-RA-2006.2300 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Kouma-Tokpli ; MNHN-RA-2008.0172, MNHN-RA-2008.0174 • 3 ♂; Missahohé; Coll . GHS-W 0686, Coll . GHS-W 0687, Coll . GHS-W 0690 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Oga ; MNHN-RA-2008.0178, MNHN-RA-2008.0173 • 6 ♂, 1 ♀; Yégué; Coll . GHS-W 0646, Coll . GHS-W 0649, Coll . GHS-W 0667, Coll . GHS-W 0682, Coll . GHS-W 0685, Coll . GHS-W 0688, Coll . GHS-W 0692 • 2 ♂; Yo ( Agomé Yo ); Coll . GHS-W 0661, Coll . GHS-W 0664 • 1 ♂; Kovié ; MNHN-RA-2006.2299 .

DESCRIPTION. — Very small frog (SVL 12.1-19.4 mm ♂, 22.0- 25.9 mm ♀), with relatively compact body. Snout pointed, slightly protruding. Head hardly longer than broad (HW 30-39% SVL; HL 34-44% SVL).Tympanum distinct (TYD 4-9% SVL). Eyelids with suprapalpebral cornicle. Hind leg rather long (TL 46-62% SVL). Webbing absent, all phalanges free. Skin shagreen on snout and in interorbital space, smooth on sides of head; anterior and posterior parts of the back as well as the flanks with numerous very prominent glands; supratympanic fold indistinct; dorsal part of the forearm, tarsus and tibia shagreen, dorsal part of the thigh bearing glands; throat, chest, belly and ventral surface of the thigh smooth.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration is brown, olive or black, sometimes with a light or red mid-dorsal line. The flanks have the same colouration as the back. The dorsal part of the forearm, tarsus, tibia and thigh is brown with darker transverse bands. The chest and belly are white and finely spotted with small black spots.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The adult males are smaller than females. Males have a strongly pleated subgular vocal sac, black in colour.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — Phrynobatrachus calcaratus is a forest species, occurring as well in forests of the humid savannah zone ( Rödel 2000). It lives in leaf litter, often quite far from water bodies. The specimens examined were collected in ecological zones II and IV. The northernmost record of the species in Togo is in the Alédjo forest. The species has been reported in Togo by Bourgat (1979), Bourgat et al. (1996), Segniagbeto et al. (2007), and Hillers et al. (2009).

Figures

FIG. 11. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A, Phrynobatrachus calcaratus (Peters, 1863) (Kalaré); B, Phrynobatrachus francisci Boulenger, 1912 (Mango); C, Phrynobatrachus gutturosus (Chabanaud, 1921) (Assoukoko); D, Phrynobatrachus latifrons (Ahl, 1924) (Akloa); E, Phrynobatrachus natalensis (Smith, 1849) (Koui); F, Phrynobatrachus plicatus (Günther, 1859) (Assoukoko).