Ptychadena keilingi ( Monard, 1937 )

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Verburgt, Luke, Baptista, Ninda L. & Harvey, James, 2023, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango- Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 3: Amphibians, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 325) 17 (1), pp. 19-56 : 44

Ptychadena keilingi ( Monard, 1937)

Keiling’s Ridged Frog ( Fig. 31 ; Map 29 )

Material (38 specimens): PEM A12428, Cuiva River bridge on EN250, -11.98345° 17.72367°, 1,267m asl; PEM A12477–8, INBAC (no number x2), Cuanavale River source lake, -13.08537° 18.89098°, 1,360 m asl; PEM A12491, Dala River, near Samanunga village, -12.93170° 18.81458°, 1,363 m asl; PEM A12559–61, Cuito River source lake, -12.68935° 18.36012°, 1,431 m asl; PEM A12646, outlet of Cuito River source lake, -12.70453° 18.35445°, 1,429 m asl; PEM A12752–9, INBAC: WC-4797, (no number x2), Cuando River source, -13.00346° 19.12751°, 1,353 m asl; PEM A12782, Quembo River, trap 1, -13.13592° 19.04417°, 1,369 m asl; PEM A12822– 4, Cuiva River source, -12.66856° 18.35307°, 1,433 m asl; PEM A12894–6, INBAC: WC-4691, INBAC: (no number x1), Quembo River source lake, -13.13624° 19.04591°, 1,366 m asl; PEM A13818–19, en route to Cuemba Village, -11.96587° 17.76176°, 1,302 m asl; PEM A14694, Lungwebungu River camp, right bank past first oxbow, -12.57956° 18.67761°, 1,295 m asl; PEM A14736, Quembo River, walk back from small waterfall, -13.52988° 19.28340°, 1,242 m asl; PEM A14780, Quembo River bridge camp, trap 1, -13.52801° 19.28147°, 1,236 m asl; PEM A14781, INBAC: WC-6962, Quembo River right side tributary (Micongo River) past village, -13.51877° 19.28487°, 1,248 m asl; PEM A14894, wetland near old quarry east of Quemba, -12.16960° 18.22965°, 1,353 m asl. Additional specimens (2 specimens): SAIAB 204561 (2 specimens), Quembo River source lake, -13.13611° 19.04500°, 1,367 m asl. Description: Medium sized Ptychadena ; elongated body; longitudinal dorsal ridges present; rostrum protruding well beyond lower jaw and forming a very pointed and elongated keratinized protrusion; long toes; reduced webbing, with up to four phalanges of longest toe free of webbing. Dorsum colorful; red infusions on the flanks; black facial mask, from snout through eye to forearm; broad light vertebral band present; thin light line on dorsal tibia; top of thighs with light and dark bands; ventrum immaculate, with black spots on chest in some specimens; black spot in front of arm that connects with lower jaw; lower jaw with spots; back of thighs with irregular longitudinal black and yellow stripes. Adult females (n = 19) varied from 24.6–39.9 (34.8) mm (largest female: PEM A12755); adult males (n = 14) varied from 25.3–31.5 (27.9) mm (largest male: PEM A14894). Habitat and natural history notes: Found in the flooded margins of rivers and lakes. Comments: Originally described from Dala, in north-eastern Angola ( Laurent 1964). It is only known from northeastern Angola ( Laurent 1964; Marques et al. 2018), western Zambia ( Channing 2001), and southwestern DRC ( Channing and Rödel 2019). This is the southernmost record for this species, and a new species record for southeastern Angola and the Okavango River basin.

Figures

Map 29. Distribution of Ptychadena keilingi in Angola.

Fig. 31. Adult male Ptychadena keilingi from Cuito River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.