Taxonomic notes: Section empty

This species is known from southwestern Côte d’Ivoire in Taï National Park, Haute Dodo Classified Forest and Cavally Classified Forest, and from southwestern Ghana in Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve and the Ankasa Conservation Area (ACA)--a protected area comprised of Nini-Suhien National Park to the north twinned with Ankasa Forest Reserve to the south. The most recent sighting was in 2006 in southern Ghana in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve (N.G. Kouamé pers. comm. May 2012). It might also occur across the border in Liberia. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 97,688 km² and it is known from 4 threat-defined locations. However, its area of occupancy is likely to be less than 2,000 km2 because of the lack of suitable habitat in the region.

Also, is the elevational range for this species known/are altitudes included in known records?

It is not common, probably because of its very restricted habitat, or because it is reclusive and therefore easily overlooked. Due to ongoing habitat loss, its population is suspected to be decreasing.

It is confined to primary and secondary lowland rainforest, where it is dependent upon very large tree holes (an uncommon microhabitat) in which it breeds by larval development. It has been found in wet evergreen and moist semi-deciduous forest and it might be tolerant to some level of disturbance (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm. June 2012).

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

The major threat to this species is ongoing forest loss in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, due to agricultural development, timber extraction and human settlement. Small scale gold mining is a threat to its habitat in Atewa (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm. June 2012).

• 5.3.2 Intentional use: (large scale) [harvest]
• 2.1.3 Agro-industry farming
• 2.1.2 Small-holder farming
• 1.1 Housing & urban areas
• 3.2 Mining & quarrying

It occurs in Taï National Park, Haute Dodo Classified Forest, Cavally Classified Forest, Ankasa Conservation Area, and Atewa Range Forest Reserve. Research on the population size and trend is needed (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm. June 2012).

• 2.1 Site/area management

Listed as Near Threatened due to its wide distribution, but lack of and ongoing decline in the large trees it is adapted to. Thus its area of occupancy (AOO) is likely to be less than 2,000 km² making it is close to qualifying for Vulnerable under B2.

• Rödel, M.-O. and Branch, W.R. 2002. Herpetological survey of the Haute Dodo and Cavally forests, western Ivory Coast, Part I: Amphibians. Salamandra: 245-268.
• Rödel, M.-O., Gil, M., Agyei, A.C., Leaché, A.D., Diaz, R.E., Fujita, M.K. and Ernst, R. 2005. The amphibians of the forested parts of south-western Ghana. Salamandra: 107-127.
• Rödel, M.-O., Kosuch, J., Veith, M. and Ernst, R. 2003. First record of the genus Acanthixalus Laurent, 1944 from the Upper Guinean Rain Forest, West Africa, with a description of a new species. Journal of Herpetology: 43-52.