Ptychadena trinodis (Boettger, 1881)

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 : 659

Ptychadena trinodis (Boettger, 1881)

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Kanté ; MNHN-RA-1995.1429-1431 .

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Bobo Kouviala ; MNHN-RA-1996.3939-3941 • 1 ♀; Kippo ; MNHN-RA-1996.618 • 2 ♀; Kosoghen ; MNHN-RA-1997.5571, MNHN-RA-1997.5572 • 1 ♀; Kou ; MNHN-RA-1996.8391 .

Senegal • 2 ♀; Ndella; MNHN-RA-1998.2813, MNHN-RA-1998.2814 .

DESCRIPTION. — Medium to large frog (SVL 52-56 mm ♂, 45- 63 mm ♀), with robust body. Snout pointed, protruding beyond mouth slit. Head longer than broad (HW 29-40% SVL; HL 35- 43% SVL). Tympanum distinct (TYD 7-8% SVL). Hind legs long (TL 50-60% SVL). Webbing moderate; webbing formula: I 0 – 1 II 0 – 2 III 1 – 3 IV 2 ½ – 0 V. Toe tips pointed. A tarsal tubercle. Back marked by three slightly distinct pairs of glandular folds in the scapular and inguinal regions but more distinct in the median region of the body, the two inner pairs being longer than the outer pair; distinct dorsolateral and supratympanic folds; skin slightly shagreen on the back and flanks; belly smooth.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration is brownish with much darker spots and a narrow, yellow vertebral line. The flanks, loreal and tympanic regions are brown with darker spots. Some whitish spots are present on the tympanum. The dorsal parts of the forearm, thigh and tibia have alternating light brown and dark brown transverse bars. The back of the thigh has irregular brownish spots. The marginal edge of the throat has alternating dark and whitish spots, the throat being white with some dark spots. The belly, the chest, the ventral side of the thigh and the webbing are white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The males are distinguished from the females by a pair of vocal sac openings, parallel to the lower jaw, on each side of the throat. Nuptial pads are present on first to third fingers.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — Ptychadena trinodis occurs mainly in dry Sudanian savannah. Its known distribution in Togo is dominantly in ecological zone I. It can be found in ecological zone II and in the northern part of ecological zone III. It was reported in the northern zone of Togo by Bourgat (1979), and is distributed in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria ( Rödel 2000; Nago et al. 2006).