Conraua derooi Hulselmans, 1972

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 : 640

Conraua derooi Hulselmans, 1972

( Fig. 4D )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 2 ♂, 5 ♀; Missahohé ; MRAC B.112074-112076, MRAC B-112084; MNHN-RA-2006.2169-2171 .

DESCRIPTION. — Large frogs (SVL 77-83 mm ♂, 68-93 mm ♀), with elongated, robust, strong body. Snout rounded. Head as broad as long (HW 37-43% SVL; HL 38-44% SVL).Tympanum indistinct. Hind leg moderate (TL 47-51% SVL). Webbing complete, no free phalanges. Fingers and toes terminated by discs. Skin smooth on back and slightly granular on flanks; belly smooth.

COLOURATION. — Specimens are uniformly dark brown on the back with small whitish and dark (reddish) dots in life. The dorsal part of forearm, thigh and tibia are brown with dark transverse bands. The belly is lighter.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The sexual dimorphism is not very marked. Males are generally more robust and larger than females, and in particular may have broader and more bulgy heads.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This torrenticolous species is endemic to Togo hills. For a long time, the only known site was Missahohé, which is the type locality of the species ( Hulselmans 1972). Bourgat (1979) and Kulo (1980) reported the species presence in the Danyi region (Danyi Atigba), less than 100 km north from the previous locality. Segniagbeto et al. (2017) investigated in Danyi-Atigba but did not record populations of the species. They discovered new populations in Yikpa-Dzigbe and reported that the population of Missahohé is severely fragmented. Rödel & Agyei (2003: 224) and Leaché et al. (2006) failed to find the species in Ghana, whereas Hillers et al. (2009) confirmed its presence in the Volta region of Ghana. Lamotte & Perret (1968) mentioned the species from Togo, still lumping it with the more western distributed Conraua alleni (Barbour & Loveridge, 1927) . Conraua derooi is characteristic of the forest zone of Togo. It lives mainly around waterfalls. On Missahohé Mountain, individuals find refuge in rock crevices or in galleries dug into the mud. The male is a whistler, perching on rocky substrate at night near the waterfall area.

CONSERVATION STATUS. — This species is currently considered as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Redlist ( Rödel & SchiØtz 2004; Segniagbeto et al. 2013, 2017). The habitats of all C. derooi populations are seriously threatened by logging and agricultural encroachment. The few remaining forests throughout the hilly forest area along the border between Togo and Ghana are being converted into plantations (mostly coffee and cocoa) at increasing rates. In Missahohé forest, the population is fragmented into five small populations because of the agricultural invasion. During recent years, specimens of the species have been subject to the international pet trade, and domestic consumption mainly by Chinese restaurants in the capital Lomé. As previously indicated ( Segniagbeto et al. 2017), it is important that attention be paid to protect the Togolese populations of this species. In Ghana, local conservation efforts to protect the Ghanaian populations have been made ( Rödel et al. 2021). Central Ghanaian Conraua populations, which have been previously assigned to this species, have been recently described as a separate species ( Neira-Salamea et al. 2021).

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).