New species of Ptychadena for northern Zambia

Ptychadena mutinondoensis has been described recently from Mutinondo Wilderness in northern Zambia.

The species can be diagnosed by the following:
"contrasting longitudinal bands on the posterior thigh"-excludes: P. subpunctata, P. taenioscelis, P. keilingi, P. upembae, P. guibei, P. nilotica, and P. anchietae
"the foot is longer than half SVL" -excludes P. schillukorum and P. mossambica
"it has no light triangle on the snout"-excludes P. subpunctata,P. obscura, P. anchietae and P. oxyrhynchus
"three phalanges of the fourth toe free of web"-excludes P. keilingi and P. bunoderma
"less than one phalanx of the fifth toe free of web"-excludes P. mossambica, P. keilingi, P. upembae, P. guibei, P. taenisocelis, P. bunoderma, P. ansorgii, P. porosissima and P. obscura
"The median skin folds are all similarly developed" not enlarged like P. bunoderma
"The snout is without skin folds" excludes P. uzungwensis and P. broadleyi
"the snout—nostril distance greater than the internarial distance" excludes P. schillukorum, P. mossambica, P. keilingi, P.upembae, P. guibei, P. ansorgii, P. broadleyi, P. grandisonae, P. porosissima, P. nilotica, P. obscura and P. anchietae
"The foot is shorter than the tibia" excludes P. subpinctata, P. keilingi, P. guibei, P. taenioscelis, P. ansorgii and P. nilotica
" The snout is longer and sharper in dorsal view compared to Ptychadena broadleyi"

CHANNING, A. and WILLEMS, F., 2018. A new grass frog with rupicolous tadpoles from northern Zambia (Anura: Ptychadenidae). Zootaxa, 4462(3), pp.349-366.

Posted on September 4, 2018 03:52 PM by alexanderr