Taxonomic notes: Section empty

This species ranges from central Sierra Leone, through Liberia and southern Guinea, to southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. It was also found in upper Guinea River region and also in Banco National Park, Audoin Classified Forest and Yaya Classified Forest in southeastern Côte d’Ivoire (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012). It was also found in Pic de Fon Classified Forest in Guinea. At Pic de Fon, it was collected at 1,000 to 1,600 m asl. Its range is between 600 and 1,600 m asl.
Using the range as a proxy, the extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be 183,026 km².

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

It is a very common species, more so than Phrynobatrachus guineensis, with which it has been confused in the past. In Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, it was common and abundant is surveys. It was last seen in 2011 in the upper river region in Guinea (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012). The current population trend may be decreasing due to pollution and urbanization (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012).

It lives in swampy parts of primary rainforest, but it has been found in secondary forest in Guinea (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012). It deposits its eggs terrestrially close to water, and the larvae develop in extremely small puddles.

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

It is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat due to agricultural development (rubber and cacao plantations in Côte d' Ivoire), logging and expanding human settlements. Some subpopulations might also be affected by mining activities in Guinea.

In 2006, toxic waste (Hydrogen sulfide which is highly toxic) was dumped in the area around Banco National Park. It is very likely that toxins were washed into the national park during heavy rainfalls, polluting the river and amphibian habitats (ponds for reproduction during rainy season) (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
• 9.2.3 Type Unknown/Unrecorded

It occurs in several protected areas, including Taï National Park, Audoin Classified Forest, Yaya Classified Forest and Mont Péko National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), and Mount Nimba World Heritage Site (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire). Research on the population size, especially in Banco National Park is needed (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012).

• 2.1 Site/area management

Listed as Near Threatened since although this species is still relatively widely distributed, it depends on areas of reasonably 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

• Rödel, M.-O. and Bangoura, M.A. 2004. A conservation assessment of amphibians in the Forêt Classée du Pic de Fon, Simandou Range, southeastern Republic of Guinea, with the description of a new Amnirana species (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae). Tropical Zoology: 201-232.
• Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. 2002. A new Phrynobatrachus from the Upper Guinean Rain Forest, West Africa, including a description of a new reproductive mode for the genus. Journal of Herpetology: 561-571.
• Rödel, M.-O. and Ernst, R. 2003. The amphibians of Marahoué and Mont Péko National Parks, Ivory Coast. Herpetozoa: 23-39.