Ptychadena aequiplicata (Werner, 1898)

Badjedjea, Gabriel, Masudi, Franck M., Akaibe, Benjamin Dudu & Gvoždík, Václav, 2022, Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 301) 16 (1), pp. 35-70 : 59

Ptychadena aequiplicata (Werner, 1898)

Fig. 10D.

Area: Bechuchuu, Yalokole.

Season/survey: Wet (May 2018, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019, Jul 2020).

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 123, 735, 752, 803, 806, 833, 834; IVB-H-CD 18293.

Comments: Ptychadena aequiplicata is characterized by extended dark (blackish) webbing and numerous shorter irregular dorsal glandular ridges/folds ( Frétey et al. 2011; Channing and Rödel 2019). This species has been reported from West Africa (with taxonomic uncertainty, possibly representing an undescribed species) to western Central Africa, and only from the westernmost margin of DRC ( Channing and Rödel 2019; IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2019). However, P. aequiplicata is relatively widespread in western to central DRC (unpub. data), and our records from Kokolopori represent a substantial geographic range extension eastward to the Central Congolian forests. We have also recorded this species further east, around Kisangani. It is possible that this species is even more widespread, distributed throughout the Congo Basin and entering Uganda. This is indicated by the published record from “Ituri: Madié” [= Medje, Haut-Uélé] ( Boulenger 1919), if the identification was correct, and by photographs showing “ P. christyi ” ( Channing and Rödel 2019: p. 341) from Budongo, Uganda ( T.M. Doherty-Bone, pers. comm.), but morphologically corresponding to P. aequiplicata . This hypothesis needs to be further tested, but it is already evident that the species is distributed at least to central and northeastern DRC. Ptychadena aequiplicata is probably the most strongly associated with forest habitats of all the representatives of this genus. It appears to be relatively rare in Kokolopori, and it was only found in primary forest.