Hildebrandtia ornata (Peters, 1878)

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 : 565-566

Hildebrandtia ornata (Peters, 1878)

( Fig. 6A )

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1♂ ( SVL 58.7 mm), 2 ♀ ( SVL 56.5 -57.0 mm), 1 juvenile ( SVL 17.8 mm); Passoré province , Samba; 12.70144°N, – 2.40391°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 13.VII.1962; M. Lamotte / Père Terrible leg.; MNHN-RA-2006.2859, 2006.2860, 1995.5755, 2006.2858 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 5 juveniles ( SVL 19.0- 22.8 mm), 1 subadult ( SVL 38.8 mm); W National Park, Kabougou River ; 11.96860°N, 2.01259°E; 280 m. a.s.l; 18-20. VI.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; around paddy field; hand capture • 1 subadult ( SVL 37.8 mm), 1 ♂; Folonzo village swampy valley; 9.95777°N, – 4.67455°W; 240 m a.s.l.; 6.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; on the edge of the water body; hand capture and acoustic report • 5 ♀ (54.1- 61.9 mm), 18 subadults ( SVL 33.0- 45.9 mm); Koti ; 11.38788°N, – 3.06401°W; 310 m a.s.l.; 24.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; on the edge of a groundnut field; hand capture • 1 individual; Pabré , “Hotel le Repère”; 12.53261°N, – 1.58286°W; 310 m a.s.l.; 11.VII.2017; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; in a swimming pool; visual observation • 1 ♂; Arly National Park , on the floodplain; 11.57852°N, 1.46004°E; 255 m a.s.l.; 16. VI.2018; under grasses on the edge of small water body; visual and acoustic report .

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. — 34 specimens examined. Large frog with stocky body and short head, presence of a characteristic colour pattern with a green broad middorsal band, often split by a series of discontinous brown stripes, sides of dorsum dark brown with a greenish brown band on flanks from tympanic region to groin; y-shaped white stripes on the black throat ( Fig. 6A ).

HABITAT. — Hildebrandtia ornata was collected on garbage dumps filled after rainfalls on Kabougou River banks (W National Park). We found it as well under deadwood on the edge of a groundnut field in Koti. At Pabré, it was seen in a swimming pool in the hostel court. We saw a calling male between grasses in Arly National Park. The frog is a fossorial species which emerges only temporarily during the breeding season ( Nago et al. 2006; Mohneke et al. 2010a). It occurs in dry and more humid savannahs and it is absent from forest pockets and very rocky terrain within its range ( Rödel 2000; Böhme & Heath 2018). It maintains in disturbed habitats.

Figures

FIG. 6. — Representatives of anuran species from Burkina Faso in life. A, Hildebrandtia ornata (Peters, 1878); B-C, Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920); D, Ptychadena schillukorum (Werner, 1908); E-F, Pyxicephalus maltzanii (Boulenger, 1882). Photos: Halamoussa Joëlle Ayoro.