Amnirana albolabris

description

Fig. 11 E – F. Area: All. Season / survey: Wet (May 2018, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019, Jul 2020).

Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo

discussion

Comments: This species belongs to the taxonomically unresolved A. albolabris species complex (Jongsma et al. 2018), distributed mostly in Central Africa from Nigeria to Uganda (Channing and Rödel 2019). The Kokolopori population probably belongs to the central Congolian evolutionary lineage. Some individuals have contrasting coloration with a dark dorsum, bright lips and spots on the flanks, and a distinctly marbled venter (Fig. 11 F), a color pattern not known to us from other parts of Central Africa. However, most individuals are lighter and not as contrasting (Fig. 11 E). This species was commonly found in most habitats, but especially in disturbed places near human settlements and along streams. This species does not seem to enter deeper primary forests. The tadpoles are contrastingly colored with black spots on a red background. The skin glands of tadpoles produce a poisonous secretion, making them unpalatable to most vertebrate predators (Channing et al. 2012).

Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo

materials_examined

Material: CSB: Herp: RNBK 004 – 006, 011, 014, 015, 017, 024, 026, 030, 039, 042, 046 – 049, 053, 055, 060, 077, 079, 090, 097, 100, 102, 104, 106, 112, 166, 191, 425, 427 – 430, 476 – 478, 502 – 504, 525, 529, 553 – 560, 565, 566, 576, 607, 608, 650, 685, 708 – 710, 723 – 726, 745 – 747, 753 – 755, 835, 836, 838, 862 – 865; IVB-H-CD 18066 – 18068, 18083, 18084, 18171 – 18175, 18390.

Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo

biology_ecology

HABITAT. — Amnirana albolabris (west) was collected in a gallery forest. We considered that place of collection could be Kou Forest which we visited in August 2018, what would be the northernmost site of its range. In other parts of its range the species inhabits pristine to heavily degraded rainforests and gallery forests in the savannah zones (Rödel & Bangoura 2004; Kpan et al. 2014; Onadeko 2016).

List of amphibian species (Vertebrata, Tetrapoda) of Burkina Faso