Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854)

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

Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854)

( Fig. 4F )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Togo • 1 ♂; Binaparba ; MRAC 73.9. B.440 • 19 ♂, 10 ♀; Lomé ; MNHN-RA-1994.3995, MNHN-RA-1994.3401-3428 • 1 ♀; Kpalimé; Coll . GHS-W 0318 .

DESCRIPTION. — This species is easily recognisable by its unique body shape with pointed snout, small eyes and short legs. Small to medium sized frog (SVL 22-30 mm ♂, 30.3-41.2 mm ♀), with a more or less stocky body. Snout pointed and very prominent extending well beyond the oral cleft. Triangular head as wide as long (HW 30-38% SVL; HL 28-36% SVL).Tympanum indistinct.Tibia short (TL 31-41% SVL). Webbing absent, all phalanges free. Skin smooth on top of the head, glandular on the posterior part of the back and flanks; belly smooth.

COLOURATION. — The dorsal colouration shows small white, yellow and dark spots of irregular shapes, intertwined on the back. The ventral side is white.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. — The male has a purple throat that outlines the subgular vocal sac. Females are larger than males.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is mainly distributed in the Guinean and Sudanian savannah, but occurs in all ecological zones of Togo. It is often observed in the rainy season near small pools, although this fossorial species lays eggs outside of water in burrows, and can start breading activity before the rains set in. Females help tadpoles to reach water bodies ( Rödel et al. 1995; Kyle & du Preez 2020). Observations were made in Kpalimé and Naboulgou. This species has been reported from Togo by Bourgat (1979), PNAE (2002) and Segniagbeto et al. (2007, 2022).

Figures

FIG. 4. — Representatives of anuran species from Togo in life: A, Sclerophrys maculata (Hallowell, 1854) (Kalaré, Fazao Malfakassa); B, Sclerophrys regularis (Reuss, 1833) (Adjarala); C, Sclerophrys togoensis (Ahl, 1924) (Diguendue); D, Conraua derooi Hulselmans, 1972 (Yikpa-Dzigbe); E, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1859) (Akloa); F, Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854) (Kpalimé).