Nothophryne cf. broadleyi Poynton, 1963

Conradie, Werner, Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B., Engelbrecht, Hanlie M., Loader, Simon P., Menegon, Michele, Nanvonamuquitxo, Cristovao, Scott, Michael & Tolley, Krystal A., 2016, Exploration into the hidden world of Mozambique's sky island forests: new discoveries of reptiles and amphibians, Zoosystematics and Evolution 92 (2), pp. 163-180 : 168-169

Nothophryne cf. broadleyi Poynton, 1963

Material

Mt. Namuli ( PEM A11320 , male, 17.9 mm SUL; PEM A11321 , female, 22.7 mm SUL; PEM A11322 , male, 18.1 mm SUL; PEM A11322 , PEM A11323 , female, 23.4 mm SUL; PEM A11324 , male, 18.0 mm SUL; PEM A11325 , juvenile, 19.0 mm SUL; PEM A11326 , male, 17.5 mm SUL; PEM A11327 , male, 18.7 mm SUL; PEM A11328 , female, 25.3 mm SUL; PEM A11329 , male, 19.5 mm SUL; PEM A11330 , female, 20.7 mm SUL; PEM A11331 , male, 18.2 mm SUL; PEM A11332 , juvenile, 17.1 mm SUL; PEM A11333 , male, 17.4 mm SUL; PEM A11334 , male, 18.2 mm SUL; PEM A11335 , male, 17.5 mm SUL; PEM A11336 , juvenile, 13.9 mm SUL; PEM A11337 , juvenile, 13.3 mm SUL; PEM A11338 , juvenile, 15.7 mm SUL; PEM A11339 , female, 25.9 mm SUL; PEM A11340 , male, 17.5 mm SUL; PEM A11342 , male, 18.1 mm SUL; PEM A11343 , female, 22.0 mm SUL; PEM A11344 , male, 18.4 mm SUL; PEM A11345 , male, 18.0 mm SUL; PEM A11346 , male, 17.7 mm SUL; PEM A11347 , male, 17.4 mm SUL), Mt. M’pàluwé ( PEM A11369 , female, 21.7 mm SUL; PEM A11370 , female, 23.8 mm SUL; PEM A11371 , male, 19.2 mm SUL; PEM A11372 , male, 18.1 mm SUL) .

Comments

Specimens were collected both during the day and at night from rocky outcrops in water seepages (Fig. 3E , 3F ). Historically, Nothophryne has only been reported from two localities: Mt. Mulanje, Malawi (type locality) and Mt. M’pàluwé in Mozambique (Poynton 1962 & 1966, Blake 1965), both higher than 1200 m asl. Timberlake et al. (2009) were the first to report this species from Mt. Namuli. Some calls similar to Nothophryne were heard from the summit of Mt. Mabu, but no frog was visually located to confirm the species occurrence in this mountain. Genetic analyses suggest a cryptic diversity in this genus ( Bittencourt-Silva et al. 2016) and additional work is underway to update its taxonomy. Based on its small distribution these nominotypical species is listed as Endangered ( Mazibuko and Poynton 2004). Referring to that the undescribed species will receive similar red list status.

Figures

Figure 3. A selection of amphibians from northern Mozambique inselbergs. A - Arthroleptis francei (Mt. Namuli, PEM A 11303), B - Arthroleptis xenodactyloides (Mt. Mabu), C - Arthroleptis stenodactylus (Mt. Mabu), D - Amietia delalandii (Mt. Namuli, PEM A 11319), E - Nothophryne cf. broadleyi (Mt. M'paluwe, PEM A 11370), F - Nothophryne cf. broadleyi (Mt. Namuli), G - Strongylopus cf. fuelleborni (Mt. Mabu, PEM A 11184), H - Scolecomorphus cf. kirkii (Mt. Mabu, PEM A 11248).