Afrixalus vittiger (Peters, 1875)

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 : 642

Afrixalus vittiger (Peters, 1875)

( Fig. 5D )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 3 ♂; Kanté ; MNHN-RA-1997.1538-1540 • 7 ♂, 1 ♀; N’Gambi; Coll . GHS-W 0541, Coll . GHS-W 0547, Coll . GHS-W 0550-0552, Coll . GHS-W 0553, Coll . GHS-W 0554, Coll . GHS-W 0583 • 1 ♂; Akloa ; ZMB 77898 • 1 ♂; Tchamba ; ZMB 77899 • 1 ♀; probably from the North ; MNHN-RA-1994.4493 .

DESCRIPTION. — Small (SVL 21.9-23.5 mm ♂, 23-25 mm ♀), slender frogs with pointed snout. Fairly broad head, slightly longer than wide (HW 24-26% SVL; HL 29-30% SVL). Tympanum barely distinct, covered by skin (TYD 3-4% SVL). Tibia short (TL 37-43% SVL). Webbing small; webbing formula: I 2 – 2 ½ II 1 ½ – 3 III 2 – 3 IV 3 – 2 V. Fingers and toes terminating with discs. Skin smooth with asperities on the back and flanks, slightly granular skin on belly.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration is characterised by three longitudinal white stripes, one vertebral and two dorso-lateral stripes extending from snout tip to posterior end of back. The white vertebral band ends at the vent, the others end in the inguinal region. They are separated by brown bands. The flanks have brown colouration, the ventral side is white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The male is distinguished from the female by a subgular vocal sac with a yellowish to reddish gland.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — The species occurs mainly in savannah, but may enter degraded forest. It is very common in ecological zones I and II. Specimens were collected in Niamtougou, Kanté, N’Gambi, Payo and Fazao Malfakassa (Kalaré, Kpei Solongo, Bounako). Calling males often sit at a height of 1 to 1.5 m on grasses or shrubs in ponds. Most populations were encountered in the northern part of the Atacora range. The southern distribution of this species in the country is doubtful. This species has been reported in Togo by Bourgat (1979) and Segniagbeto et al. (2007, 2022).

REMARK. — Concerning the taxonomy of this Afrixalus species, we follow Pickersgill (2007).

Figures

FIG. 5. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A-C, Afrixalus dorsalis (Peters, 1875): A, B, (Togbekope); C, (Akloa); D, Afrixalus vittiger (Peters, 1876) male (Kalaré); E, Afrixalus weidholzi (Mertens, 1938) (Guérin Kuka); F, Hyperolius baumanni Ahl, 1931 (Diguendue).