Sclerophrys cf. funerea (Bocage, 1866)

Badjedjea, Gabriel, Masudi, Franck M., Akaibe, Benjamin Dudu & Gvoždík, Václav, 2022, Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 301) 16 (1), pp. 35-70 : 47

Sclerophrys cf. funerea (Bocage, 1866)

Fig. 6A–C.

Area: Bechuchuu, Yalokole, Yotemankele.

Season/survey: Wet (May 2018, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019, Jul 2020).

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 116, 188, 204, 211, 276, 540, 570, 690, 711, 721, 832; IVB-H-CD 18313.

Comments: This species was usually found in or near forest streams in several sites during all surveys. However, it was rather uncommon. Calling was heard in the early morning. Its coloration was usually dark to blackish in males, brownish in females, and often with some reddish patches in both sexes. Parotoid glands are rather indistinct. Verrucosity is relatively strong, especially on limbs and the posterior part of the dorsum. However, the dorsum of males is smoother with flattened warts during the mating period ( Fig. 6A). Sclerophrys funerea is a little-known species despite its presumed large distribution range covering most of the Congo Basin, countries of the Albertine Rift, and most of Angola where the type locality is in the north of the country ( Marques et al. 2018). It is probably absent from Cameroon (J.-L. Perret sensu Joger 1982) and Equatorial Guinea ( Sánchez-Vialas et al. 2020), and is not reliably documented (at least from published photographs) from Gabon ( Dewynter and Frétey 2019; Pauwels and Rödel 2007), and probably not even from the Republic of the Congo, as S. gracilipes has probably been confusedwiththisspecies.OurspecimensfromKokolopori correspond morphologically to specimens at RMCA identified as Bufo funereus funereus by J. Hulselmans, who described Bufo funereus djohongensis from Cameroon ( Hulselmans 1977), which was later elevated to full species ( Joger 1982), although it is possibly a junior synonym of S. villiersi ( Frétey et al. 2011; Channing and Rödel 2019). Since the holotype of S. funerea was most likely destroyed in a 1978 fire, the photograph in Perret (1976a) is probably the only visual information on the holotype (and the quality of the specimen was rather poor). There are other names available ( Bufo benguelensis Boulenger, 1882 ; Bufo buchneri Peters, 1882 ; Bufo decorsei Mocquard, 1903 ; Bufo berghei Laurent, 1950 ; Bufo latifrons mayombensis Hulselmans, 1977 ) that may or may not be synonyms of S. funerea ( Tandy and Keith 1972) . Comparing our material from Kokolopori with the holotype of S. buchneri , for which the type locality is also in northeastern Angola (about 500 km from the type locality of S. funerea ), we found no significant differences. This is further indirect evidence that S. buchneri may represent a junior synonym of S. funerea , as already suggested by Tandy and Keith (1972). However, a thorough revision of the S. camerunensis-gracilipes group is needed, and a designation of a neotype of S. funerea will probably be necessary to stabilize the taxonomy of Central African forest toads. In view of the above uncertainties, and given the distance of about 1,300 km from the type locality (which is located in a different ecoregion), we refer to our population as S. cf. funerea for now.