Mertensophryne cf. loveridgei ( Poynton, 1991 )

Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B., Bayliss, Julian & Conradie, Werner, 2020, First herpetological surveys of Mount Lico and Mount Socone, Mozambique, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 247) 14 (2), pp. 198-217 : 205

Mertensophryne cf. loveridgei ( Poynton, 1991) Loveridge’s Forest Toad

Material. MOUNT LICO (base): BMNH 2018.2502 ( Fig. 3I). Identification. The identification is based on the following combination of morphological characters: vent pointing downwards, parotid glands broad and flattened, skin covered with spines, tympanum hidden, ventral surface with a single elongated dark fleck in the anterior pectoral region, and well defined dorsal v-shaped markings ( Poynton 1977). The closest match on GenBank is “ M. anotis ” from Taratibu in northeastern Mozambique (99% sequence similarity; KY555643). However, prior to the discovery of the Taratibu specimen, M. anotis was only known from southeastern Zimbabwe and adjoining Mozambique (Farooq et al. 2015), whereas M. loveridgei is known to occur in southeastern Tanzania ( Poynton 1977), which is much closer to Taratibu. Importantly, sequences from the Mount Lico specimen are equally similar (98%) to M. anotis from the type locality ( AF 220910) and to M. loveridgei from Tanzania ( FJ 882820); and it is plausible that the GenBank accession for “ M. anotis ” from Taratibu is actually M. loveridgei . Further investigation is needed to resolve the taxonomic identities of recently collected specimens and the relationship of the two described species. Comments. This specimen was found on the trail leading to the climbing point at 690 m asl. Rasplus et al. (2009) reported two species of Mertensophryne for Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique, M. loveridgei ( Poynton, 1991) and M. micranotis (Loveridge, 1925) . The former species was only known from southern Tanzania, whereas the latter extends northwards into Kenya. Unfortunately, the specimens escaped before they could be preserved, and species determination was done by Professor Kim Howell (presumably) based on photographs ( Rasplus et al. 2009). The finding here represents either the southernmost record of M. loveridgei or another relictual population of M. anotis in northern Mozambique.