Ptychadena cf. mossambica (Peters, 1854)

Conradie, Werner, Bills, Roger & Branch, William R., 2016, The herpetofauna of the Cubango, Cuito, and lower Cuando river catchments of south-eastern Angola, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 126) 10 (2), pp. 6-36 : 18

Ptychadena cf. mossambica (Peters, 1854)

Broad-banded Ridged Frog

Material: PEM A10850‒10862 (38), 10874‒10876 (39), 10878‒10880 (39), and 10918 (43); SAIAB 101010 (38) and 101012 (39).

Comment: A series of grass frogs ( Fig. 7b ) collected from the lower Cuando River near the village of Jamba are provisionally assigned to the Ptychadena mossambica complex. Channing (1993) described Ptychadena mapacha from Mapacha in the eastern Caprivi, Namibia, close to our new collection, noting that it was superficially similar to P. mossambica . Morphologically they differ in having a continuous paravertebral fold from head to midbody in P. mossambica , that is interrupted in P. mapacha . Unfortunately, the current series was collected during the dry season and no vocalization was obtained for comparison with that recorded for P. mapacha ( Channing 1993) . Genetic analysis is underway on the P. mossambica complex to determine the specific identity of the new collection. Neither P. mossambica or P. mapacha , which are both known from the Caprivi area of Namibia, have been recorded from Angola.

Figures

Fig. 7. Selective amphibians from south-eastern Angola. A. Hyperolius cinereus, B. Ptychadena cf. mossambica, C. Sclerophrys lemairii (female), D. Sclerophrys lemairii (male), E. Kassina kuvangensis.