Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854)

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 : 642

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a25
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D4AC1F89-AC34-43C4-9761-3F2015A02265
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13942741
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F187A4-FFB9-FFEF-AB70-FE4BFDDEFA9E
treatment provided by	Plazi (2024-10-09 08:41:37, last updated 2024-11-26 01:37:28)
scientific name	Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854)
status

Treatment

Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854) View in CoL

( Fig. 4F View FIG )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 1 ♂; Binaparba ; MRAC 73.9. B.440 • 19 ♂, 10 ♀; Lomé ; MNHN-RA-1994.3995, MNHN-RA-1994.3401-3428 • 1 ♀; Kpalimé; Coll . GHS-W 0318 .

DESCRIPTION. — This species is easily recognisable by its unique body shape with pointed snout, small eyes and short legs. Small to medium sized frog (SVL 22-30 mm ♂, 30.3-41.2 mm ♀), with a more or less stocky body. Snout pointed and very prominent extending well beyond the oral cleft. Triangular head as wide as long (HW 30-38% SVL; HL 28-36% SVL).Tympanum indistinct.Tibia short (TL 31-41% SVL). Webbing absent, all phalanges free. Skin smooth on top of the head, glandular on the posterior part of the back and flanks; belly smooth.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration shows small white, yellow and dark spots of irregular shapes, intertwined on the back. The ventral side is white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The male has a purple throat that outlines the subgular vocal sac. Females are larger than males.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is mainly distributed in the Guinean and Sudanian savannah, but occurs in all ecological zones of Togo. It is often observed in the rainy season near small pools, although this fossorial species lays eggs outside of water in burrows, and can start breading activity before the rains set in. Females help tadpoles to reach water bodies ( Rödel et al. 1995; Kyle & du Preez 2020). Observations were made in Kpalimé and Naboulgou. This species has been reported from Togo by Bourgat (1979), PNAE (2002) and Segniagbeto et al. (2007, 2022).

References

BOURGAT R. 1979. - Trematodes d'amphibiens du Togo. Bulletin du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle (4 e serie) 3: 597 - 624.

KYLE K. & DU PREEZ L. H. 2020. - Mom's taxi - Maternal care in shovel-nosed frogs Hemisus marmoratus and Hemisus guttatus. African Zoology 55 (1): 1 - 4. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 1562702 0.2019. 1677497

PNAE 2002. - Monographie nationale sur la diversite biologique. Rapport integral, MER ̿ - Togo, 172 p.

RODEL M. - O., SPIELER M., GRABOW K. & BOCKHELER C. 1995. - Hemisus marmoratus (PETERS, 1854) (Anura: Hemisotidae), ̿ ortpflanzungsstrategien eines Savannenfrosches. Bonner zoologische Beitrage 45: 191 - 207.

SEGNIAGBETO G. H., BOWESSIDJAOU J. E., DUBOIS A. & OHLER A. 2007. - Les Amphibiens du Togo: etat actuel des connaissances. Alytes 24 (1 - 4): 72 - 90.

SEGNIAGBETO G. H., DEKAWOLE J. K., KETOH G. K., DENDI D. & LUISELLI L. 2022. - Herpetofaunal diversity in a Dahomey Gap savannah of Togo (West Africa): effects of seasons on the populations of amphibians and reptiles. Diversity 14, 964.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A, Sclerophrys maculata (Hallowell, 1854) (Kalaré, Fazao Malfakassa); B, Sclerophrys regularis (Reuss, 1833) (Adjarala); C, Sclerophrys togoensis (Ahl, 1924) (Diguendue); D, Conraua derooi Hulselmans, 1972 (Yikpa-Dzigbe); E, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1859) (Akloa); F, Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854) (Kpalimé).