Ptychadena trinodis (Boettger, 1881)

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 : 572-573

Ptychadena trinodis (Boettger, 1881)

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 4♀ ( SVL 52.5-55.2 mm); Ouagadougou ; 12.38011°N, – 1.51100°W; 300 m a.s.l.; VIII.1966; Père Terrible leg.; MNHN- RA-1995.3233, 1995.3234, 1995.3235, 1995.3236 • 5 ♀ ( SVL 48.1-56.9 mm), 1 ♂ ( SVL 51.8 mm); Loumana ; 10.58001°N, – 5.35044°W; 330 m a.s.l.; 3.IX.1970; J.J. Morère leg.; MNHN-RA-1996.3931, 1996.3942, 1996.3943, 1996.3944, 1996.3945, 1996.3946 • 2 ♀ ( SVL 54.1-57.2 mm), 1♂ ( SVL 55.7 mm); a trail between Bobo-Dioulasso and Kofila; 11.33755°N, – 3.92852°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 7.XI.1970; J. J. Morère leg.; MNHN-RA-1996.3939, 1996.3940, 1996.3941 • 2 subadults ( SVL 30.2-34.7 mm); Samba ; 12.70144°N, – 2.40391°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 2.I.1963; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHN-RA-1993.3572, 1993.5679 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 ♀ ( SVL 55.5 mm); Deux Balés National Park , downstream from the Soumbou dam; 11.69872°N, – 2.79738°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; H. J. Ayoro leg.; under a stone near water body; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 53.6 mm); Arly National Park ; 11.57044°N, 1. 45211°E; 190 m a.s.l.; 12. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near a small water body on a trail; hand capture • 1 ♂; Koubri , downstream from Nabazana dam; 12.20319°N, – 1.35105°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 17.VII.2017; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; in a paddy field; acoustic report • 1 ♀ ( SVL 52.1 mm); Comoé-Léraba Forest , Kotokoi swampy valley; 9.82802°N, – 4.62727°W; 230 m a.s.l.; 3.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; near a small water pool; hand capture • 1 subadult ( SVL 42.4 mm); Baboro swampy valley; 9.92521°N, – 4.5739°W; 230 m a.s.l.; 4.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; on a trail; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 59.1 mm), 6 subadults ( SVL 35.7-45.2 mm); Folonzo village swampy valley; 9.88803°N, – 4.61969°W; 230 m a.s.l; 6.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; around a vegetable garden; hand capture • 18 subadults ( SVL 25.0- 44.1 mm); the flooded zone of Yakouta dam; 14.06117°N, – 0.13181°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 26.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; under grasses; hand capture • 4 subadults ( SVL 19.1-46.4 mm); the edge of Dori pond, Toroodi; 14.00607°N, – 0.02846°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 24-27.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; under grasses; hand capture • 4 subadults ( SVL 31.1- 46.3 mm); the edge of N’Djomga pond; 14.07225°N, – 0.04862°W; 265 m a.s.l.; 25.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; under grasses near water body; hand capture • 3 ♀ ( SVL 52.3-57.3 mm); the edge of Fafo dam; 11.33470°N, – 3.01947°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 10.XI.2018; same collector as for preceding; in paddy field; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 59.8 mm); Djindjerma , close to Koti; 11.38211°N, – 3.05145°W; 310 m a.s.l.; 1.XI.2018; same collector as for preceding; around a drink water well; hand capture .

LITERATURE REPORTS. — Burkina Faso • Gourma province , Fada N’gourma; 12.06051°N, 0.34913°E; 300 m a.s.l. (Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) • Ganzourgou province , Mogtedo; 12.31844°N, – 0.83601°W; 280 m a.s.l. (Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) • Zorgho ; 12.2483°N, – 0.6278°W; 300 m a.s.l.; I-III.2008 (Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) .

DESCRIPTION. — 54 specimens studied. Stout and robust frogs, with a moderately pointed snout, strong and long limbs. An inner and an external metatarsal tubercle present and very protruding as indicated by Rödel (2000) and Sánchez-Vialas et al. (2017). Webbing formula: I 0 - 1 ½ II 0 - 1 III 0 - 1 ½ IV 1 ½ - 0 V. Four pairs of continuous dorsal ridges extending along the entire back. In life and alcohol, dorsal colouration from brown to dark grey. Presence of a wide white, yellow in life, vertebral line in all specimens. Species usually with a more granular dorsal skin, in comparison to other members of this genus ( Rödel 2000).

HABITAT. — Specimens were captured in grasses near water bodies in Comoé-Léraba Forest and Deux Balé National Park; on a trail near a water body in Arly National Park; under humid gasses at Dori pond and Yakouta dam banks. Ptychadena trinodis was one of the most abundant Ptychadena species at savannah ponds during the rainy season ( Nago et al. 2006). The species is then virtually restricted to small or tiny water bodies which often lack vegetation ( Guibé & Lamotte 1957; Lamotte 1969; SchiØtz 1967; Perret 1981; Rödel 2000). This species is distributed from West Africa east to northern Democratic Republic of Congo ( Rödel 2000; Padial & De La Riva 2004; Sánchez-Vialas et al. 2017; Böhme & Heath 2018).