Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858)

Ayoro, Halamoussa Joëlle, Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoudé, Hema, Emmanuel Midibahaye, Penner, Johannes, Oueda, Adama, Dubois, Alain, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Kabré, Gustave Boureima & Ohler, Annemarie, 2020, List of amphibian species (Vertebrata, Tetrapoda) of Burkina Faso, Zoosystema 42 (28), pp. 547-582 : 556-557

Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858)

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 11 ♀ ( SVL 62.3-106.7 mm), 6 ♂ ( SVL 69.6-85.8 mm), 6 juveniles ( SVL 21.7-47.1 mm); Passoré province , Samba; 12.70142°N, – 2.40390°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 18. VI.1962; M. Lamotte leg.;MNHN-RA-1979.1192, 1979.1193, 1979.1194, 1979.1200, 1979.1203, 1979.1204, 1979.1205, 1979.1207, 1979.1208, 1979.1209, 1979.1210, 1979.1211, 1979.1212, 1979.1213, 1979.1214, 1979.1215, 1979.1216, 1979.1217, 1979.1218, 1979.1219, 1979.1220, 1979.1221, 1979.1222 • 2 ♀ ( SVL 75.7-86.2 mm), 1 ♂ ( SVL 82.6 mm); Ouagadougou ; 12.38014°N, – 1.51104°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 1987; M. Lamotte leg.;MNHN-RA-1990.4366, 1990.4367, 1990.4368 • 2♀ ( SVL 65.7-73.4 mm); Comoé province , Tiéfora; 10.62763°N, – 4.55772°W; 290 m a.s.l.; II.1983; NA leg.; ZFMK 93958 , 93967 • 2 ♂ ( SVL 56.5-68.9 mm); Comoé province , Dérégoué; 10.75013°N, – 4.07932°W; 320 m a.s.l.; II.1982; NA leg.; ZFMK 38698-99 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 ♀ ( SVL 77.6 mm); Loumbila , south-west part of Loumbila dam; 12.49844°N, – 1.40313°W; 280 m a.s.l; 13.VII.2017; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; around a water body; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 105.8 mm); downstream from the Loumbila dam; 12.49844°N, – 1.40313°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 14.VII.2017; same collectors as for preceding; around a irrigation well; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 106.1 mm), 1 ♂ ( SVL 89.5 mm), 1 subadult ( SVL 63.8 mm), 7 juveniles ( SVL 29.7-35.3 mm); Koubri , on the edge of the “Ancien barrage”; 12.22883°N, – 1.34525°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 16.VII.2017; same collectors as for preceding; hand capture • 2♂ ( SVL 85.1-95.3 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 81.1-103.3 mm); Koubri , downstream of the Nabazana dam; 12.20324°N, – 1.35103°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 17.VII.2017; same collectors as for preceding; hand capture • 10 individuals; Pabré , Pabré dam; 12.51684°N, – 1.59690°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 12.VII.2017; same collectors as for preceding; in the water of the irrigation ditch upstream of the dam; field direct observation • 1 subadult ( SVL 47.1 mm); Deux Balés National Park , Ouahabou bouli; 11.60765°N, – 3.06033°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; H. J. Ayoro leg.; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 67.1 mm); Deux Balés National Park , Tiona pond; 11.63242°N, – 2.85433°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the pond; hand capture • 4 ♀ ( SVL 66.3-80.4 mm); 3 subadults ( SVL 48.0- 55.1 mm); Deux Balés National Park , on the flooded zone of Mouhoun River; 11.77886°N, – 2.91243°W; 240 m a.s.l.; 10.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on the edge of a pond, hand capture • 2 ♀ ( SVL 83.6- 92.1 mm); W National Park, Kabougou River (500 m north-west of the Kabougou forest post office); 11.97060°N, 2.01622°E; 280 m a.s.l.; 3.II.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the water of a irrigated well; hand capture • 2♂ ( SVL 79.9-84.6 mm); same locality; 18. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 100.5 mm); W National Park , a small pond (1 km southwest of the Kabougou forest post office); 11.93675°N, 1.99463°E; 310 m a.s.l.; 21. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture • 4 individuals; W National Park , PK-27 bouli; 11.88741°N, 2.11913°E; 280 m a.s.l. 20. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; on the edge of the bouli; field direct observation • 5 individuals; W National Park, Nangouli swampy valley; 11.89804°N, 2.00101°E; 250 m a.s.l.; 21. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; on the small river bank; field direct observation • 1 ♀ ( SVL 82.2 mm); Arly National Park , the Bouliabou pond; 11.57890°N, 1.46393°E; 170 m a.s.l.; 11. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; on the edge of the pond; hand capture • 1 ♀ ( SVL 84.2 mm), 1♂; Arly National Park , on a floodplain (500 m north of the Bouliabou pond); 11.57854°N, 1.46000°E; 260 m a.s.l.; 16. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture, field direct observation • 1 ♂ ( SVL 79.1 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 75.0 mm); Arly National Park , on the bank of the Arly River; 11.57840°N, 1.46143°E; 170 m a.s.l.; 17. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near a small water body; hand capture • 2 subadults ( SVL 36.0- 43.4 mm); Comoé-Léraba Forest , a flooded zone of Comoé River (300 m west of the bridge of Comoé River); 9.93242°N, – 4.60654°W; 220 m a.s.l.; 5.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; near a water body; hand capture • 3 individuals; Kou Forest ; 11.18888°N, – 4.43944°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 7-9.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; near the water source of the Guinguette; field direct observation • 4♀ ( SVL 67.1-104.8 mm), 1 subadult ( SVL 39 mm); Dori , on the edge of Dori pond near Wiindou bridge; 14.03665°N, – 0.04933°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 22.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; hand capture • 4 ♂ ( SVL 75.0- 102.1 mm), 5 ♀ ( SVL 93.7-111.3 mm); the Dori pond, Toorodi; 14.00385°N, – 0.02411°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 24.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture • 1 ♂ ( SVL 95.3 mm); N’Djomga village pond; 14.07222°N, – 0.04865°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 25.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding, on the edge of the pond; hand capture • 1♂ ( SVL 92.8 mm); Yakouta , downstream from the Yakouta dam; 14.07454°N, – 0.14290°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 26.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture • 2♀ ( SVL 65.1-95.2 mm); Koti ; 20.X.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the stagnant water around a water fountain; hand capture • 6 individuals; Dédougou ; 12.49204°N, – 3.43575°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 22.VIII.2017; same collector as for preceding; in a wetland of SONATUR habitations; field direct observation • Ioba province , Djikologo in Bontioli reserve; 10.93684°N, – 3.13804°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 2011; J. Penner leg.; field direct observation • Dano , Batiara; 11.21322°N, – 3.02685°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 21.X.2003; M.-O. Rödel & T. Moritz leg.; field direct observation .

LITERATURE REPORTS. — Burkina Faso • Passoré province, Yako : 12.96740°N, – 2.26151°W; 330 m a.s.l.; 1962 ( SchiØtz 1967) • Gourma province, Fada N’gourma ; 12.06051°N, 0.34913°E; 300 m a.s.l. ( Böhme et al. 1996; Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) • Ganzourgou province, Mogtedo ; 12.31844°N, – 0.83601°W; 280 m a.s.l. (Mohneke 2011) • Zam; 12.32885°N, – 0.82631°W; 280 m a.s.l (Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) • Zorgho; 12.2483°N, – 0.6278°W; 300 m a.s.l.; I-III.2008 ( Mohneke et al. 2010b; Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011) .

DESCRIPTION. — On 84 specimens examined, males’ SVL between 66.0- 105.2 mm (19 specimens) while females’ sizes between 69- 111.3 mm (38 specimens). Large and robust aquatic frogs. Eyes very prominent, in dorsal position. Head moderately broad with a rounded tympanum. Legs very strong and long, toes fully webbed. Dorsal skin with short warty and discontinuous folds, rather irregularly arranged. The dominant colouration greenish or grey olive on the back and white with some dark spots on the belly. juveniles showing a characteristic light yellow to green interorbital line.

HABITAT. — Hoplobatrachus occipitalis is usually collected near or in water ( Rödel 2000). In the dry season it lives in rivers, pond banks and in irrigated wells. It is found in practically all freshwater habitats in wet season. Migrations were related in the dry season to the edge of rivers and the in wet season to surroundings of ponds ( Spieler 1997). The species was observed on clayey and sandy soils. This frog is an important source of animal protein in the nutrition of local population from the south-eastern part of Burkina Faso ( Mohneke et al. 2010b, 2011).