Phrynobatrachus mababiensis FitzSimons, 1932

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Verburgt, Luke, Baptista, Ninda L. & Harvey, James, 2023, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango- Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 3: Amphibians, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 325) 17 (1), pp. 19-56 : 40

Phrynobatrachus mababiensis FitzSimons, 1932 complex

Dwarf Puddle Frog ( Fig. 26 ; Map 22 )

Material (14 specimens, 1 tadpole lot): PEM A12429, series of pans south of Tempué, -13.55719° 18.85519°, 1,315 m asl; PEM A12608, Calua River source, 6 km SE of Cuito River source, -12.73675° 18.39310°, 1,445 m asl; PEM A12622, Cutata River, -12.56916° 16.49334°, 1,647 m asl; PEM A12662, Campsite 2 near old Cuvango Mission, -13.33451° 16.41280°, 1,542 m asl; PEM A12688, Cubango 2017 launch site, -12.61700° 16.22133°, 1,727 m asl; PEM A12777, Quembo River source, trap 4, -13.13586° 19.04709°, 1,373 m asl; PEM A12840–1, west of Cuito town on Aludungo rd, -12.28700° 16.81716°, 1,739 m asl; PEM A12889, Quembo River source lake, -13.13624° 19.04591°, 1,366 m asl; PEM A13739, Lungwebungu River, new campsite, -12.58445° 18.66538°, 1,308 m asl; PEM A14743, Quembo River bridge camp, trap 2, -13.52816° 19.28067°, 1,240 m asl; PEM A14779, Quembo River bridge camp, trap 1, -13.52801° 19.28147°, 1,236 m asl; PEM A14873, wetland south of Lake Hundo, -15.01099° 21.63608°, 1,100 m asl; PEM A14114 (tadpoles), river before Sombanana village, -12.30710° 18.62350°, 1,407 m asl; INBAC: WC-5221, Campsite 2 near old Cuvango Mission, -13.33451° 16.41280°, 1,542 m asl. Additional material (3 tadpole lots): SAIAB 209079 (14 tadpoles), road to Cuanavale River camp, -12.54990° 18.67444°, 1,333 m asl; SAIAB 209105 (10 tadpoles), swamp near Cuanavale River source lake camp, 1,386 m asl; SAIAB 209111 (9 tadpoles), small wooden bridge across wetland on road between Cuanavale River source camp and Munhango, -12.30714° 18.62333°, 1,399 m asl. Description: Small Phrynobatrachus ; scattered small warts present on the back; up to three and a half phalanges of longest toe free of webbing. Dorsum light brown, with scattered darker brown markings; lower lip barred in black and white; ventrum varied from immaculate to mottled with black. Males with black throats. Adult females (n = 3) varied from 12.8–18.0 (16.2) mm (largest female: PEM A14743); adult males (n = 3) varied from 12.6– 17.2 (14.7) mm (largest male: PEM A14779). Habitat and natural history notes: Found on edges of rivers and source lakes among marginal vegetation. Comments: Numerous cryptic species have been documented within P. mababiensis as currently recognized ( Zimkus and Schick 2010; Zimkus et al. 2010), and the new material recorded here may represent more than one species (N. Baptista et al., unpub. data). Until further phylogenetic studies are conducted, this material is all included in the P. mababiensis complex.

Figures

Map 22. Distribution of Phrynobatrachus mababiensis complex in Angola.

Fig. 26. Adult female Phrynobatrachus mababiensis from Cutatu River. Photo by Werner Conradie.