Phrynobatrachus francisci Boulenger, 1912

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

Phrynobatrachus francisci Boulenger, 1912

( Fig. 5E )

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 ♂ ( SVL 16.1 mm), 1♀ ( SVL 22.8 mm), 1 subadult ( SVL 14.6 mm); Léraba province , Loumana; 10.58001°N, – 5.35044°W; 330 m a.s.l.; XI.1970; J.-J. Morère & M. Lamotte leg.; MNHN-RA-1996.8753, 1996.8750, 1999.7505 • 2♂ ( SVL 18-18.3 mm), 7♀ ( SVL 20.2-23 mm); Samba ; 12.70145°N, – 2.40388°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 13.VII.1962; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHN-RA-2007.0598, 2007.0599, 2007.0600, 2007.0601, 2007.0602, 2007.0603, 2007.0604, 2007.0605, 2007.0606 • 6 subadults ( SVL 14-15.8 mm); Tapoa province , Arly; 11.57975°N, 1.47072°W; 175 m a.s.l.; 27.XII.1972; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHNRA-2001.1371, 2001.1372, 2001.1373, 2001.1374, 2001.13752001.1376 • 3♂ ( SVL 18.1-20.3 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 16.9 mm), 2 subadults ( SVL 14.3-15.6 mm); Bazèga province , at 40 km south of Ouagadougou; 12.38011°N, 1.51100°W; 350 m a.s.l.; XII.1965; T. J. Papenfuss leg.; MVZ 82791, MVZ 82794-98 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 5 ♂ ( SVL 20.1-22.6 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 • 2 ♂ ( SVL 22.2-24.5 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 23.4 mm), 5 subadults; Deux Balés National Park , close to 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 • 3 ♂ ( SVL 20.0- 22.5 mm), 2 subadults ( SVL 15.6-17.5 mm); Deux Balés National Park , the edge of Pampara pond; 11.65613°N, – 3.0303234°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; around water body; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 18.1 mm), 4 subadults ( SVL 15.0– 16.2 mm); Deux Balés National Park , downstream of Soumbou dam; 11.69872°N, – 2.79738°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on dry grasses near water body; hand capture • 3 ♂ ( SVL 22.3- 23.3 mm), 3 ♀ ( SVL 22.1 -23.0 mm); Deux Balés National Park , the edge of Petit Balé dam; 11.59998°N, – 2.92701°W; 240 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the cavities of lateritic stones near water body; hand capture • 7♂ ( SVL 18.5-23.5 mm), 5 ♀ ( SVL 18.52 - 0.8 mm), 3 subadults ( SVL 15.5-16.8 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 ♀ ( SVL 21.3 mm); Arly National Park , Bouliabou pond; 11.57892°N, 1.46388°E; 170 m a.s.l.; 11. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near water body; hand capture • 1♂ ( SVL 22.2 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 23.5 mm); the bank of Arly River ; 11.55946°N, 1.45624°E; 170m a.s.l.; 14. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; under dead wood near water body; hand capture • 3 ♂ ( SVL 18.4–21.2 mm); Kabougou River ; 11.96860°N, 2.01259°E; 280 m. a.s.l; 18. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; in a paddy field; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 22.9 mm), 3 ♀ ( SVL 22.2-23.7 mm); near the protected part of Kabougou River ; 11.97060°N, 2.01626°E; 265 m a.s.l.; 19. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; on dead leaves; hand capture • 4♂ ( SVL 18.6- 22.7 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 22.9 mm); W National Park , on the edge of PK-27 bouli; 11.88744°N, 2.11913°W; 265 m a.s.l.; 20. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; on the mud near water body; hand capture • 10 subadults; the edge of PK-27 bouli; 3.II.2017; same collector as for preceding; on the mud near water body; visual observation • 1 ♂ ( SVL 21.5 mm), 1 ♀ ( SLV 22.5 mm); Baboro swampy valley; 9.92509°N, – 4.57577°W; 240 m a.s.l.; 4.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; near water body; hand capture • 1♀ ( SVL 21.4 mm); the flood zone of Comoé River (300 m west of the Comoé bridge); 9.93239°N, – 4.60655°W; 220 m a.s.l.; 5.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; near small water body; hand capture • 7 ♀ ( SVL 18.4–23.5 mm); Folonzo village swampy valley; 9.95775°N, – 4.67449°W; 245 m a.s.l.; 6.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; near a small water body; hand capture • 2 subadults ( SVL 12.0– 13.1 mm); N’Djomga village pond; 14.07225°N, – 0.04862°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 25.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; on the mud surrounding the pond; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 21.2 mm); Dori , Toroodi; 14.00606°N, – 0.02846°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 27.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; under small grasses; hand capture • 2 ♂; Dédougou , SONATUR city (the way from Dédougou to Toughan); 12.48972°N, – 3.43611°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 22.VIII.2017; same collector as for preceding; under submerged grasses near small rubbish dump; visual observation and acoustic report • Ioba province , Dano; 11.16600°N, – 3.08689°W; 340 m a.s.l.; 2011; J. Penner leg.; field observation .

LITERATURE REPORTS. — Burkina Faso • Yako ; 12.96744°N, – 2.26155°W; 330 m a.s.l.; 18.VIII.1961 ( SchiØtz 1967) • Comoé province , near Kafolo; coordinates not available; 11. VI.1992 ( Böhme et al. 1996) • Houet province , Koro; 11.14433°N, – 4.19888°W; 350 m a.s.l.; 14. VI.1992 ( Böhme et al. 1996) • Houet province , Daroha; coordinates not available; 14. VI.1992 ( Böhme et al. 1996) .

DESCRIPTION. — 96 specimens examined. Our vouchers within the known size range given by Rödel (2000). A small, warty frog with a short and rounded snout. Presence of one or two pairs of chevron shaped warts on the neck ( Fig. 5E ). Colour of P. francisci usually brown to grey. Males with a dark vocal sac.

HABITAT. — Phrynobatrachus francisci is restricted to humid habitats and is abundant in all seasons close to water. During the dry season, we collected these frogs on the edge of ponds and rivers, under pebbles and rocks ( Fig. 2A, B ). It is also found near wells, fountains and cattle troughs. This species has a wide distribution in drier savannahs of West Africa ( Rödel 2000; Onadeko 2016).

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.