Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Smith, 1849)

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 : 658

Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Smith, 1849)

( Fig. 12F )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Agou ; MNHN-RA-1979.7145, MNHN-RA-1979.7146, MNHN-RA-1979.7149 • 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Agoté ; MNHN-RA-2006.2156-2158 • 1 ♂; Kanté ; MNHN-RA-1979.7148 • 3 ♂, 2 ♀; Lomé ; MNHN-RA-1979.7147, MNHN-RA-1979.7150, MNHN-RA-1979.7151, MNHN-RA-2006.2208 • 1 ♂; Tové ; MNHN-RA-1979.7144 .

DESCRIPTION. — Large frog (SVL 51-60 mm ♂, 65-72 mm ♀), with robust body. Snout pointed, protruding beyond mouth slit. Head longer than broad (HW 30-35% SVL; HL 37-41% SVL). Tympanum distinct (TYD 6-8% SVL). Hind legs very long (TL 62-75% SVL). Webbing moderate; webbing formula: I 0 – 1 ½ II 0 – 2 III ½ – 3 IV 2 – ½ V. Toe tips pointed. Back marked by three pairs of glandular folds: the inner pair starting at the rear of the interorbital space, without contact with the eyelids and extending to the posterior end of the body; the middle pair starting at the posterior edge of the eyelids and ending at the groin; and the outer pair constituting the supra-tympanic folds, extending to the inguinal region; slightly shagreen skin on the back and flanks.

The most conspicuous characters of this species are its extremely long hind limbs

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration is grayish or olive-greenish, brownish in some specimens, with irregularly set white spots. The vertebral line is distinct. The dorsal sides of the thighs and legs have brownish transverse bars. The belly is white. In West Africa it is the only Ptychadena which combines a snout with colour paler than the rest of the head and reddish colouration on the posterior part of the eyelids.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — Males have two pairs of infer vocal sac openings, laterally on either side of the throat, and nuptial pads on first to third fingers.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is characteristic of savannah associated with forest areas. Very frequent in ecological zones II, III and IV, it is observed in the regions of Kpélé, Adélé (M’Poti and Koui), Fazao (Kalaré), Tchamba, Alibi, etc. Females lay eggs in the rainy season in small pools or water reservoirs. The species was reported by Bourgat (1979) from Kovié, Lomé and Kanté, and by Segniagbeto et al. (2022) from Tetetou to Nagbeto dam. Rödel (2000) reported its presence in ecological zones II and IV of the country.

Figures

FIG. 12. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A, Phrynomantis microps Peters, 1875 (Tsévié); B, Xenopus fischbergi Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvoždík,Kelley,McLaughlin, Pauwels,Portik, Stanley, Tinsley,Tobias & Blackburn, 2015 (Siou);C, Xenopus tropicalis (Gray, 1864) (Agoté); D, Ptychadena bibroni (Hallowell, 1845) (Kovié); E, Ptychadena mascareniensis (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) (Kovié); F, Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Smith, 1849) (Tchamba),