Arthroleptis carquejai

Arthroleptis carquejai is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known with certainty only from north-western Angola,[1][2] but there is also a recent record from Gabon. If this is correct, its distribution might also include intervening areas in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2] The specific name carquejai honours Bento Carqueja [pt], Portuguese professor, journalist, and philanthropist.[3][4] The common names Cambondo screeching frog and Carqueja's squeaker have been proposed for it.[1][2][4]

Arthroleptis carquejai
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Arthroleptis
Species:
A. carquejai
Binomial name
Arthroleptis carquejai
Ferreira, 1906

Description

edit

The holotype is a female measuring 28 mm (1.1 in) in snout–vent length. The holotype has gular and anterior venter areas that are darkly pigmented with pale spots, distinguishing this species from otherwise quite similar Arthroleptis variabilis (which has a prominent and well-defined mid-gular stripe in females and juveniles, and generally uniformly pigmented gular region of males). Two unsexed specimens about 135 kilometres north from the type locality measure 20–30 mm (0.8–1.2 in) in snout–vent length and show traces of a pale mid-gular line.[4]

Habitat and conservation

edit

There is no direct information on habitat and ecology of this species, but it is likely to be a terrestrial frog inhabiting lowland forest, and possibly other habitats. It probably has direct development[1] (i.e, there is no free-living larval stage[5]), like other Arthroleptis.[1][6]

Threats to this species are unknown, and it is not known to occur in any protected areas.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group.; South African Frog Re-assessment Group; et al. (SA-FRoG) (2016). "Arthroleptis carquejai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T54368A77159732. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T54368A77159732.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Arthroleptis carquejai Ferreira, 1906". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
  4. ^ a b c Ceríaco, L. M. P.; Blackburn, D. C.; Marques, M. P. & Calado, F. M. (2014). "Catalogue of the amphibian and reptile type specimens of the Museu de História Natural da Universidade do Porto in Portugal, with some comments on problematic taxa" (PDF). Alytes. 31: 13–36.
  5. ^ Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.
  6. ^ Blackburn, D. (2008). "Biogeography and evolution of body size and life history of African frogs: Phylogeny of squeakers (Arthroleptis) and long-fingered frogs (Cardioglossa) estimated from mitochondrial data". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49 (3): 806–826. Bibcode:2008MolPE..49..806B. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.08.015. PMID 18804169.