Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920)

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 : 658-659

Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920)

( Fig. 13A )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 7 ♂, 10 ♀; Kanté; MNHN-RA-1996.8861-8863, MNHN-RA-2006.2219, MNHN-RA-2006.2221,MNHN-RA-2006.2223-2229,MNHN-RA-1996.8322, MNHN-RA-1996.8323, MNHN-RA-1996.8324, MNHN-RA-1996.8860 • 4 ♂, 4 ♀; Mango; MNHN-RA-1996.8330-8341 • 7 ♂; Oga; MNHN-RA-2008.0154-0157 .

DESCRIPTION. — Small frog (SVL 21.3-29.8 mm ♂, 24.4-37.1 mm ♀), with fairly slender body. Snout pointed, protruding above the mouth slit. Head slightly longer than broad (HW 27-34% SVL; HL 37- 45% SVL). Tympanum distinct (TYD 4-9% SVL). Hind legs long (TL 51-67% SVL). Webbing small, leaving some phalanges free; webbing formula: I 1 – 2 II 1 – 2 ½ III 1 ½ – 3 IV 3 – 1 V. Tip of toes pointed. Back marked by four pairs of glandular folds, the inner most pair starting from the back of the eye, running along the medial dorsal line and ending at the vent, the third pair being the shortest and in a median position with respect to the first two, the fourth, the most outer, being dorsolateral; distinct and very short supratympanic fold; smooth skin on the back and more granular on the flanks.

COLOURATION. — The colouration is olive-gray or brown on the back, with a whitish, orange or green vertebral line. Some darker spots can be seen on the back. The dorsolateral folds are light gray. From the tip of the snout to the eye, the canthus is marked by a dark band. The dorsal parts of the forearm, thigh and tibia are crossed out by darker bands. The belly is white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The males are distinguished by a pair of vocal sacs, opening on either side of the throat, parallel to the lower jaw, and nuptial pads on first to third fingers.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — Ptychadena pumilio is essentially a savannah species. It is distributed in ecological zones I, II, III and IV. Its frequency in the ecological zone IV becomes more and more important because of the savannisation of the forest zone. It has been reported in Togo by Bourgat (1979), Bourgat et al. (1996) and Segniagbeto et al. (2007, 2022).

Figures

FIG. 13. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A, Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920) (Mango); B, Ptychadena tellinii (Peracca, 1904) (Koui); C, Aubria subsigillata (Duméril,1856) (Kovié);D, Hylarana galamensis (Duméril & Bibron,1841) (Avévé);E, Hylarana parva (Griesbaum, Jongsma, Penner,Kouamé, Doumbia, Gonwouo, Hillers, Glos, Blackburn & RÖdel, 2023) (Diguengue); F, Geotrypetes seraphini (Duméril, 1859) (Agou).