Phrynobatrachus latifrons Ahl, 1924

Ayoro, Halamoussa Joëlle, Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoudé, Hema, Emmanuel Midibahaye, Penner, Johannes, Oueda, Adama, Dubois, Alain, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Kabré, Gustave Boureima & Ohler, Annemarie, 2020, List of amphibian species (Vertebrata, Tetrapoda) of Burkina Faso, Zoosystema 42 (28), pp. 547-582 : 564-565

Phrynobatrachus latifrons Ahl, 1924

( Fig. 5F )

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1♂ ( SVL 16.3 mm); Comoé province , Dérégoué; 10.75011°N, – 4.07934°W; 320 m a.s.l.; II.1983; J. Heath leg.; ZFMK 93966 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 ♂ ( SVL 16.5 mm); Pabré dam; 12.51159°N, – 1.58833°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 10.VII.2017; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; in an irrigation ditch; hand capture • 6 ♂ ( SVL 16.1-19.5 mm); Koubri , downstream from Nabazana dam; 12.20319°N, – 1.35105°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 17.VII.2017; same collectors as for preceding; under a heap of dry grasses near paddy field; hand capture • 2♂ ( SVL 17.8-18.8 mm); Deux Balés National Park , the edge of Ouahabou bouli; 11.60765°N, – 3.06033°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; H. J. Ayoro leg.; around water body; hand capture • 2 ♂ ( SVL 19.5-20.3 mm); Deux Balés National Park , the edge of Kohéna pond; 11.67665°N, – 2.83611°W; 275 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on the mud around water body; hand capture • 1 subadult ( SVL 13.4 mm); W National Park, the bank of Mékrou River (close to the Beninese border, near the Point Triple Residence); 11.89991°N, 2.40265°E; 240 m a.s.l.; 4.II.2017; same collector as for preceding; under a stone near water body, hand capture • 6 ♂ ( SVL 16.9-18.1 mm), 7♀ ( SVL 19.0- 22.2 mm); Arly National Park , the edge of Bouliabou pond; 11.57892°N, 1.46388°E; 170 m a.s.l.; 11. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; around water body; hand capture • 2 ♂ ( SVL 17.9-22.1 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 22.2 mm); the bank of Arly River , 500 m north-east of the central forest post office; 11.57845°N, 1.46146°E; 170 m a.s.l.; 12. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; under dead wood; hand capture • 2 ♂ ( SVL 17.6-17.8 mm), 3 ♀ ( SVL 19.0-21.0 mm); the bank of Arly River ; 1 km west of the central forest post office; 11.57048°N, 1.45218°E; 160 m a.s.l.; 15. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near water body; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 18.8 mm), 2 ♀ ( SVL 18.1-21.9 mm); the floodplain, 500 m north of Bouliabou pond; 11.57852°N, 1.46004°E; 255 m a.s.l.; 16. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near water body; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 23.3 mm); Comoé-Léraba Forest , Baboro swampy valley; 9.92509°N, – 4.57577°W; 240 m a.s.l.; 4.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; in open space; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 18.7 mm); the flooded area of Comoé River ; 9.93239°N, – 4.60655°W; 220 m a.s.l.; 5.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; on a shrub; hand capture .

DESCRIPTION. — 39 specimens examined. Voucher specimens morphologically similar to frogs described by Rödel (2000). Similar to P. francisci but the warts on the neck often less distinct in P. latifrons . Breeding males with a completely smooth skin ( Fig. 5F ), ( Rödel 2000). A yellow vocal sac in males (black in P. francisci ) and a more pronounced black lateral bands distinguishing P. latifrons from P. francisci .

HABITAT. — This species was found on mud under dead wood and rocks at the edge of ponds in the dry season ( Fig. 2A, B ). During the rainy season, the species always lives close to water and we collected them on submerged grasses, under shrubs on the edge of little water bodies. Phrynobatrachus latifrons lives in tree and open savannahs, farm bush and agricultural areas. It avoids closed primary rainforest, but may be found in degraded rainforest ( Rödel 2000; Kpan et al. 2014; Onadeko 2016; Rödel & Glos 2019).

Figures

FIG. 5. — Representatives of anuran species from Burkina Faso in life. A, Kassina fusca Schiøtz, 1967; B-C, Kassina senegalensis (Duméril & Bibron, 1841); D, Phrynomantis microps Peters, 1875; E, Phrynobatrachus francisci Boulenger, 1912; F, Phrynobatrachus latifrons Ahl, 1924. Photos: Halamoussa Joëlle Ayoro.

FIG. 2. — Various habitats of amphibian species from Burkina Faso. A, banks of ponds in dry season from W National Park; B, stones on the bank of the Mékrou River in dry season (W National Park);C, shrubby savannah habitats at rainy season from Koubri; D, rainy season shrubby savannah habitats from Comoé-Léraba Forest; E, gallery forest from Kou Forest at Nasso; F, Sahelian swampy valley habitat from Dori (in rainy season). Photos: Halamoussa Joëlle Ayoro.