Phrynobatrachus natalensis ( Smith, 1849 )

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 : 41

Phrynobatrachus natalensis ( Smith, 1849)

Snoring Puddle Frog ( Fig. 27 ; Map 23 )

Material (20 specimens): PEM A12637–8, Cuanavale River, -13.37406° 18.99269°, 1,297 m asl; PEM A12711, Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing, -12.58347° 18.66598°, 1,304 m asl; PEM A12890–3, INBAC: WC-4599, INBAC (no number), Quembo River source lake, -13.13624° 19.04591°, 1,366 m asl; PEM A13738, Comba River, -12.62442° 18.65159°, 1,299 m asl; PEM A13745–8, Lungwebungu River old campsite, -12.58319° 18.66573°, 1,284 m asl; PEM A14690, PEM A14705–6, INBAC: WC-6740, Lungwebungu River camp, -12.58439° 18.66748°, 1,297 m asl; PEM A14707, wetland west of Lungwebungu River camp, -12.55855° 18.63770°, 1,308 m asl; PEM A14810–1, Luio River camp floodplains, -13.19711° 20.22194°, 1,181 m asl. Additional material (1 specimen): SAIAB 209104 (1 specimen), swamp near Cuanavale River source lake camp, -13.10750° 18.86089°, 1,386 m asl. Description: Medium sized Phrynobatrachus ; dorsum with scattered elevated tubercles; reduced webbing; heel spine present; small outer metatarsal tubercle; large inner metatarsal tubercle; ridge running along outer toe; small tarsal ridge; mid-tarsal tubercle present; well-developed elevated subarticular tubercle. Dorsum coloration varies from grey to brown and even green; ventrum white. Female throats are speckled, while throats of males are uniformly grey to black. Adult females (n = 15) varied from 23.6–32.6 (28.1) mm (largest female: PEM A13745); adult males (n = 5) varied from 26.3–30.4 (28.2) mm (largest male: PEM A14705). Habitat and natural history notes: Found in flooded grasslands associated with miombo woodland. Comments: This species is widespread in Angola ( Marques et al. 2018). Although there were no records for southeastern Angola prior to Conradie et al. (2016), they are widespread east of the Zambian border ( Poynton and Broadley 1985b, 1991; Channing, 2001). This is another complex within Phrynobatrachus containing several cryptic species, and thus deserving of further investigation (Zimkus et al. 2010; Bittencourt-Silva 2019).

Figures

Map 23. Distribution of Phrynobatrachus natalensis inAngola.

Fig. 27. Adult male Phrynobatrachus natalensis from Luio River. Photo by Chad Keates.