Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920)

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 : 568-570

Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920)

( Fig. 6B, C )

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 6 ♀ ( SVL 25-27 mm), 1 ♂ ( SVL 29.2 mm); Nasso ; 11.20950°N, – 4.43952°W; 340 m a.s.l.; 6.XII.1968; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHN-RA-1999.7572, 1999.7573, 1999.7574, 1996.3900, 1996.3901, 1996.3902, 1996.3923 • 6 ♀ ( SVL 25.3 –34.0 mm); Bobo-Dioulasso , Pala; 11.14985°N, – 4.22671°W; 430 m a.s.l.; XI.1970; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHNRA-1996.3921, 1996.3922, 1996.3924, 1996.3925, 1996.3926, 1996.3927 • 3 ♀ ( SVL 25-27.4 mm); Loumana ; 10.58001°N, – 5.35043°W; 330 m a.s.l.; 30.X.1970; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHNRA-1996.7506, 1996.7507, 1996.7508 • 6 ♂ ( SVL 27.1-29.5 mm), 7 ♀ ( SVL 27.2-34.7 mm), 8 subadults ( SVL 18.8-24.1 mm); Samba ; 12.70144°N, – 2.40390°W; 290 m a.s.l.; VII.1962; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHN-RA-1996.3885, 1996.3888, 1996.3889, 1996.3894, 1996.3895, 1996.3896, 1996.3886, 1996.3887, 1996.3890, 1996.3892, 1996.3893, 1996.3878, 1996.3806, 1996.3876, 1996.3877, 1996.3879, 1996.3880, 1996.3881, 1996.3882, 1996.3883, 1996.3884 • 1 subadult ( SVL 25.2 mm); Dano , Batiara; 11.21325°N, – 3.02682°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 21.X.2003; M.-O. Rödel leg.; ZMB 84696 .

FIELD MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 subadult ( SVL 23.8 mm); W National Park ; Kabougou River (its protected part); 11.97060°N, 2.01627°E; 265 m a.s.l.; 4.II.2017; H. J. Ayoro leg.; hidden under a dead wood; hand capture • 4 subadults ( SVL 18.0- 24.6 mm); Arly National Park , the edge of Bouliabou pond; 11.57892°N, 1.46397°E; 180 m a.s.l.; 2.III.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the cracks of dry mud; hand capture • 2 ♂ ( SVL 26.7-29.6 mm); the edge of Bouliabou pond; 11.57892°N, 1.46397°E; 180 m a.s.l.; 11. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; hand capture • 2 ♂ ( SVL 26.4-27.4 mm); Arly National Park , the floodplain (500 m north of Bouliabou pond); 11.57852°N, 1.46004°E; 255 m a.s.l.; 16-17. VI.2018; same collector as for preceding; near water body; hand capture • 5 subadults ( SVL 21.5-25.5 mm); Deux Balés National Park, the edge of “Baignade des Eléphants”; 11.71809°N, – 2.83793°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 8.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on dry grasses; hand capture • 5 individuals; Deux Balés National Park , the edge of Jonction pond; 11.56736°N, – 2.86041°W; 255 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on the mud; visual report • 9♀ ( SVL 28.5-30.9 mm), 3 subadults ( SVL 25.0- 26.5 mm); the edge of Kohéna pond; 11.67662°N, – 2.83611°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; under dead wood and on the mud; hand capture • 1♀ ( SVL 29.0 mm); the edge of Tiona pond; 11.63241°N, – 2.85437°W; 265 m a.s.l.; 9.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; under dry grasses; hand capture • 2 subadults ( SVL 25.6 -27.0 mm); Deux Balés National Park , a flooded zone of Mouhoun River; 11.77879°N, – 2.91244°W; 245 m a.s.l.; 10.XI.2017; same collector as for preceding; on dry gasses; hand capture • 1♀ ( SVL 37.1 mm); Baboro swampy valley; 9.92521°N, – 4.5739°W; 230 m a.s.l.; 4.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; near small water body; hand capture • 1♀ ( SVL 36.3 mm); flooded zone of the Comoé River ; 9.93239°N, – 4.60655°W; 220 m a.s.l.; 5.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; near water body; hand capture • 2♂; Kou Forest , in its savannah part; 11.18815°N, – 4.44397°W; 375 m a.s.l.; 9.VIII.2018; same collectors as for preceding; under flooded grasses on a trail; acoustic report • 3♂; Dori , Toroodi; 14.00554°N, – 0.02405°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 24.VIII.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; visual and acoustic reports • 1♀ ( SVL 34.2 mm), 3 ♂ ( SVL 28.2-30.2 mm); the edge of Dori pond, swampy valley (on the road out from Dori to Gorom-Gorom); 14.04736°N, – 0.05723°W; 270 m a.s.l.; 25.VIII.2018; same collector as for preceding; under small submerged grasses; hand capture and acoustic report • 1 ♂ ( SVL 33.0 mm), 1 ♀ ( SVL 32.7 mm); the edge of Pabré dam; 12.51597°N, – 1.59923°W; 290 m a.s.l.; 10-12. VII.2017; H. J. Ayoro & A. Ohler leg.; around small water body; hand capture • 1♀ ( SVL 33.7 mm); the edge of “ Ancien barrage”; 12.22843°N, – 1.34766°W; 280 m a.s.l.; 16.VII.2017; same collector as for preceding; in the paddy field; hand capture • 4 subadults ( SVL 22.9-28.7 mm); the edge of Fafo dam; 11.33470°N, – 3.01947°W; 300 m a.s.l.; 10.XI.2018; H. J. Ayoro leg.; in a vegetable garden; hand capture • Djikologo , close to the Bontioli Reserve; 10.93686°N, – 3.13800°W; 260 m a.s.l.; 2011; J. Penner leg.; field direct observation .

LITERATURE REPORTS. — Burkina Faso • Gourma province , Fada N’gourma; 12.06051°N, 0.34913°E; 300 m a.s.l. • Ganzourgou province, Mogtedo ; 12.31844°N, – 0.83601°W; 280 m a.s.l. • Zorgho; 12.2483°N, – 0.6278°W; 300 m a.s.l.; I-III.2008 (Mohneke 2011; Mohneke et al. 2011).

DESCRIPTION. — 76 specimens studied. Specimens studied 27.2-34.4 mm SVL in males and 29.0- 37.1 mm SVL in females; thus within the size range given by Rödel (2000) and Lamotte (1967a). S pecies with a moderately pointed snout and a slender body. Limbs thin and long; webbing formula: I 1 - 2 II 1 - 2 III 1 ½ - 2 IV 2 - 1 V. Supernumerary tubercles absent on toes. Three pairs of symmetrical and continuous ridges present on the back. A white, continuous lateral ridge extending from above the tympanum to the posterior part of the back. Dorsal colour pattern from brown, greenish to greyish with dark brown spots ( Fig. 6B, C ). Breeding males with greenish colour ( Rödel 2000). Presence of a wide white, green or red vertebral band in many specimens.

HABITAT. — Ptychadena pumilio is ubiquitous in Guinean and Sudanese savannah and Sahelian habitats. It may even enter degraded rainforest ( Rödel 2000). We found it near water bodies among grasses and sometimes in the humid areas near water bodies in depressions, as well as in flooded zones in the rainy season. In Dori, we found calling males between flooded short grasses. In the dry season, P. pumilio was observed concealing under rocks, heaps of dry grass and cracks of dry mud around ponds and river banks, in Arly and W National Park from February to March 2017 and in Deux Balés National Park in November 2017.

Figures

FIG. 6. — Representatives of anuran species from Burkina Faso in life. A, Hildebrandtia ornata (Peters, 1878); B-C, Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger, 1920); D, Ptychadena schillukorum (Werner, 1908); E-F, Pyxicephalus maltzanii (Boulenger, 1882). Photos: Halamoussa Joëlle Ayoro.