Taxonomic notes: This form consists of two separate species (M.-O. Rödel pers. comm.).

This species occurs in the western Upper Guinea forest zone of West Africa, in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, and western Côte d’Ivoire, up to approximately 1,000 m asl.
Using the range as a proxy, the extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be 186,448 km².

Is there any information available regarding this species' AOO or number of threat-defined locations? EJM

It is a common species in suitable habitats. It was last seen in Liberia in 2010 (G.N. Le Grand pers. comm. June 2012) and 2002 in Taï National Park Cote d'Ivoire (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012). The current population trend of this species is unknown but it might be declining due to logging as this species relies on trees (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012).

It is restricted to the drier parts of primary rainforest, where it is an arboreal species usually found low in the trees. It breeds by larval development in tree holes, and also in empty nuts, snail shells, and other tiny waterbodies. Eggs are attached to the bark of the tree or the top of a shell or similar, above the water, and they then hatch four to five days later and the larvae drop into the water below where they complete their development.
What is the source of this information? EJM

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

This species is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat due to agricultural development (cocoa plantations), logging and expanding human settlements. In Guinea, some populations might also be affected by mining activities (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012).

• 2.1.2 Small-holder farming
• 3.2 Mining & quarrying
• 1.1 Housing & urban areas
• 5.3.5 Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded

It occurs in Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), the Mount Nimba World Heritage Site (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire) and Haute Dodo and Cavally Classified Forests. More research on the current population trend is needed. Protection of the habitat is required (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012).

• 2.1 Site/area management
• 1.1 Site/area protection

Listed as Near Threatened since although this species is still relatively widely distributed, it depends on areas of undisturbed forest habitat, and so its Area of Occupancy is probably not much greater than 2,000 km2, and the extent and quality of its habitat is declining, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable.

According to our records this species may not have been formally reassessed. The current assessment relies on an estimate of the AOO; it would make this a more robust assessment if this could be confirmed with reasoning. To qualify for the VU category, an estimate of the number of threat-defined locations or evidence that the population is severely fragmented (according to the Red List guidelines) is needed. EJM

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• Guibé, J. and Lamotte, M. 1963. La reserve naturelle integrale du Mont Nimba. XXVIII. Batraciens du genre Phrynobatrachus. Memoires de l'Institution Fondamental d'Afrique Noire: 601-627.
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• Rödel, M.-O. 2000. Les communautes d'amphibiens dans le Parc National de Tai, Cote d'Ivoire. Les anoures comme bio-indicateurs de l 'etat des habitats. Rapport de Centre Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique, Abidjan: 108-113.
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• Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. 2002. A new reproductive mode for the genus Phrynobatrachus: Phrynobatrachus alticola has nonfeeding, nonhatching tadpoles. Journal of Herpetology: 121-125.
• Rudolf, V.H.W. and Rödel, M.-O. 2005. Oviposition site selection in a complex and variable environment: the role of habitat quality and conspecific cues. Oecologia: 316-325.
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