Ptychadena bibroni (Hallowell, 1845)

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 : 656-657

Ptychadena bibroni (Hallowell, 1845)

( Fig. 12D )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 4 ♂, 20 ♀; Kanté; MNHN-RA-2006.2211, MNHN-RA-2006.2213, MNHN-RA-2006.2214, MNHN-RA-2006.2218, MNHN-RA-1979.6801-6814, MNHN-RA-1979.6916, MNHN-RA-1979.6818-6822 .

DESCRIPTION. — Medium sized frog (SVL 31-39 mm ♂, 32- 40 mm ♀), with more or less elongated body. Snout pointed and protruding beyond mouth slit. Head longer than broad (HW 30- 38% SVL; HL 37-48% SVL). Tympanum distinct (TYD 5-8% SVL). Hind leg long (TL 45-62% SVL). Webbing moderate, leaving up to three phalanges free; webbing formula: I 2 – 2 ½ II 1 ½ – 2 ½ III 1 ½ – 3 IV 2 ½ – ½ V. Back with four pairs of glandular folds, including a pair of sacral folds, the outermost forming the dorsolateral folds; skin of the finely granular back; some glandular granules on the flanks.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration is brown with some darker spots, often with a distinct vertebral line. The dorsal parts of the tibia and thigh have dark transverse bars. The rear side of the thighs is marbled with light brown longitudinal stripes. The belly is white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The male is distinguished by vocal sacs visible as oblique lateral slits at the corner of the mouth, and nuptial pads on first to third fingers.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is very common in both the South and North of Togo. It is frequent in savannah, dry and open forest areas. It can be observed around ponds and rivers during the rainy season. It was reported by Bourgat (1979) from Lomé, Kovié and Kanté, by Lamotte & Ohler (1997) from Kovié and Kanté and by Segniagbeto et al. (2022) from the ecological zone III. This species is also common in the ecological region between Togo and Ghana, in particular an area that would mirror the ecological zones II and IV of Togo ( Rödel & Agyei 2003; Leaché et al. 2006).

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),