Kaman Camara’s Slippery Frog

biology_ecology

Biology and habitat (Figs 9 and 10). The new species occupies fast-flowing rocky streams with waterfalls within riverine forest in mountainous areas in the Fouta Djallon, Guinea (Figs 9 and 10). Like other frogs of the genus, they are predominately nocturnal and aquatic. Despite their occurrence in fast flowing streams, adults show a preference for calmer river sections, where turbulent water is absent. Usually, frogs are encountered at least partly submerged in shallow water, facing the riverbanks. When outside of the water, they remain within jumping distance to water. Disturbed frogs seek shelter on the ground of pools, sometimes trying to burrow deeper into them and cover themselves with gravel or substrate (Fig. 11). This behaviour is similar to what Knoepffler (1985) described for Conraua crassipes. They call (whistle) with an open mouth, sitting in shallow water (Fig. 7; compare Amiet 1990). Mating has never been observed by the authors; however, single observations of clutches and jelly remnants of spawn indicate that oviposition sites are small puddles or depressions on the riverbanks near the spray water zone of cascades and waterfalls. Conraua tadpoles usually were obser

A new slippery frog (Amphibia, Conrauidae, Conraua Nieden, 1908) from the Fouta Djallon Highlands, west-central Guinea

description

Description of the holotype (Figs 2 - 5; measurements in mm). Adult female; slightly dorsoventrally flattened, short and rounded body; snout rounded in dorsal and lateral view, with upper lip slightly projecting forward; SVL 71.7; head width 23.7, approximately equal to head length 23.5; head length 33 % of SVL; snout length 7.0, 30 % of head length; eye-nostril distance 4.25; eye-snout distance 8.1; internarial distance 4.0, slightly larger than interorbital distance 5.2; nostrils protuberant, directed dorsolaterally, visible in lateral and dorsal view; large eyes, projecting laterally beyond margins of head in dorsal view; eyes projecting slightly above dorsal margin of head in lateral view; eye diameter 6.5, horizontal diameter of tympanum 4.3; upper eyelid width 3.8, 73 % of interorbital distance; eye-tympanum distance 3.9; tympanum indistinct; canthus rostralis distinct and rounded; loreal region concave; slightly curved supratympanic fold extending from posterior edge of eye to shoulder, joining the lateral fold; upper lip slightly protruding; premaxillary and maxillary teeth slender and pointed, three odontoid projections on lower jaw, one on at symphysis and one to each sid

A new slippery frog (Amphibia, Conrauidae, Conraua Nieden, 1908) from the Fouta Djallon Highlands, west-central Guinea

diagnosis

Diagnosis. The new species resembles other members of the genus Conraua Nieden, 1908. Conraua kamancamarai sp. nov. is an aquatic frog with the following traits: smooth dorsal skin, covered with scattered small, rounded warts on back and longitudinal ridges on dorsal part of hind legs; venter skin smooth; three odontoid projections on lower jaw, one at symphysis and one to each side on dentary; vocal sacs absent; fully webbed feet, i. e. to end of last phalanx of toe. Conraua kamancamarai sp. nov. is closely related to a clade including C. alleni sensu stricto, C. derooi and C. sagyimase (see Blackburn et al. 2020). Genetic distances between the new species and all other Conraua species were higher than 6 % in the examined part of the 16 S gene. Conraua kamancamarai sp. nov. can be distinguished from C. goliath by a rounded snout (pointed in C. goliath), the absence of short dorsal skin ridges, a white venter with dark brown botches (yellow venter in C. goliath), the presence of a lateral line system, an indistinct tympanum, a wide tarsal fold and by having more than one subarticular tubercle on fingers (one in C. goliath). Conraua kamancamarai sp. nov. differs from C. crassipes by

A new slippery frog (Amphibia, Conrauidae, Conraua Nieden, 1908) from the Fouta Djallon Highlands, west-central Guinea

distribution

Distribution (Fig. 8). So far, the known range of Conraua kamancamarai sp. nov. is restricted to the type locality at Konkoure Fetto and to two other sites, Hoere Binti and Chute de Ditinn. Although the species probably occurs in a few more rivers that have not yet been surveyed, the entire range almost certainly will not extend beyond the Fouta Djallon, where it is very likely patchily distributed.

A new slippery frog (Amphibia, Conrauidae, Conraua Nieden, 1908) from the Fouta Djallon Highlands, west-central Guinea