Ptychadena bunoderma (Boulenger, 1907)

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Verburgt, Luke, Baptista, Ninda L. & Harvey, James, 2023, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango- Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 3: Amphibians, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 325) 17 (1), pp. 19-56 : 42

Ptychadena bunoderma (Boulenger, 1907)

Rough Ridged Frog ( Fig. 29 ; Map 26 )

Material (2 specimens): PEM A12778, Quembo River source, trap 4, -13.13586° 19.04709°, 1,369 m asl; PEM A12476, Cuanavale River source lake, -13.08537° 18.89100°, 1,360 m asl. Description: Small stocky Ptychadena ; dorsum warty, with no clear ridges as in other Ptychadena species; short stubby legs; very reduced webbing, four phalanges of the 4 th toe free of webbing. Dorsum dark brown to olive, with scattered white to brown elevated tubercles; lower lip gray with white bars; back of thighs with scattered light spots. The only adult male measured 25.6 mm ( PEM A12778). Habitat and natural history notes: Specimens were found in trap arrays (see Conradie et al. 2021) set up next to flooded areas of source lakes. They were never heard calling, and either have a very cryptic call or were not vocal during the survey periods. Comments: In Angola, this species is only known from the east, based on historical records ( Marques et al. 2018). No new collections were made until Ernst et al. (2020) recorded a series of specimens from northwestern Angola. Elsewhere, it is known from northwestern Zambia ( Channing 2001; Channing and Rödel 2019). Our new material represents a new record for southeastern Angola and the Okavango River basin.

Figures

Map 26. Distribution of Ptychadena bunoderma in Angola.

Fig. 29. Adult male Ptychadena bunoderma from Cuanavale River source lake. Photo by Werner Conradie.