Sclerophrys gutturalis (Power, 1827)

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 : 28

Sclerophrys gutturalis (Power, 1827)

Guttural Toad ( Fig. 8 ; Map 7 )

Material (69 specimens): PEM A12484, INBAC: WC-4841–2. Cuanavale River source lake, -13.08537° 18.89098°, 1,360 m asl; PEM A12498, drive back from Cuchi to Menongue, -14.67986° 17.17512°, 1,404 m asl; PEM A12573–5, Cuito River source lake, -12.68935° 18.36012°, 1,431 masl; PEMA 12612, CaluaRiversource, 6 km SE of Cuito River source, -12.73675° 18.39310°, 1,442 m asl; PEM A12625–6, HALO Cuito, -12.39584° 16.96067°, 1,697 m asl; PEM A12629, roadside ditch 10 km SW of Cuito town, -12.44815° 16.88118°, 1,742 m asl; PEM A12639, PEM A12643, Cuanavale River, -13.37406° 18.99269°, 1,304 m asl; PEM A12677–9, INBAC: WC-5232, Camp 3, Malova Village, Mipanha River, -14.09140° 16.41476°, 1,553 m asl; PEM A12685, Huambo HALO training camp, -12.73726° 15.81828°, 1,665 m asl; PEM A12698, Cuando River bridge, -13.60757° 19.53257°, 1,277 m asl; PEM A12719–25, Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing, -12.58346° 18.66598°, 1,304 m asl; PEM A12796–7, Cuanavale River source lake camp side, -13.09442° 18.89372°, 1,368 m asl; PEM A12907-8, INBAC: no number (x2), Quembo River source lake, -13.13624° 19.04591°, 1,366 m asl; PEM A13763, Lungwebungu River, trap 2, -12.58199° 18.66562°, 1,208 m asl; PEM A13781, Lungwebungu River, trap 3, -12.58056° 18.66419°, 1,302 m asl; PEM A13784, Cuquema River, downstream, -12.47021° 16.82334°, 1,644 m asl, PEM A13790, Dam/ Hydroplant on Cuquema River, -12.42556° 16.81856°, 1,640 m asl; PEM A14680, Menongue, -14.63015° 17.63465°, 1,373 m asl; PEM A14685, wetland near old quarry east of Quemba, -12.16960° 18.22965°, 1,353 m asl; PEM A14712–5, INBAC: WC-6975, Lungwebungu River camp, -12.58439° 18.66748°, 1,297 m asl; PEM A14724, Quembo River bridge, -13.52746° 19.28060°, 1,241 m asl; PEM A14739, Quembo River bridge camp, trap 1, -13.52801° 19.28147°, 1,236 m asl; PEM A14740, Quembo River bridge camp, -13.52746° 19.28060°, 1,241 m asl; PEM A14744, Quembo River bridge camp, trap 4, -13.52658° 19.27810°, 1,248 m asl; PEM A14818– 22, INBAC: WC-7004, Luio River camp floodplains, -13.19711° 20.22194°, 1,181 m asl; PEM A14824–6, INBAC: WC-7029, Camp at side tributary (Luandai River) of the Luanguinga River, -13.70885° 21.26234°, 1,116 m asl; PEM A14831, Luanguinga River waterfall, -13.71132° 21.24914°, 1,118 m asl; PEM A14851–5, INBAC: WC-7044, Lake Hundo, -14.97431° 21.62966°, 1,100 m asl; PEM A14889–90, INBAC: WC-7079, Luvu River camp, -13.71200° 21.83538°, 1,082 m asl. Description: Large robust toad; snout rounded; elevated parotoid glands. Dorsum dark brown with pairs of dark paravertebral patches; pairs of dark patches on snout and behind eyes that create the appearance of a pale cross on head; in PEM A12724 and A12720 a continuous dark interorbital bar is present; back of thighs often with red infusions (not always present in females or juveniles). In breeding males, the dorsum becomes yellow, with numerous small black-tipped asperites; throat darkened; enlarged arms; black nuptial pads present on palm and first finger. Adult females (n = 22) varied from 54.4– 109.7 (78.3) mm (largest female: PEM A12575); adult males (n = 37) varied from 56.7–89.2 (74.6) mm (largest male: PEM A14890). Habitat and natural history notes: Found in miombo woodland. Males were heard calling from margins of the source lakes. Comments: Widespread species across most of south-central Africa ( Channing and Rödel 2019). Most historical Angolan material has been referred to as Bufo regularis Reus, 1833 . Since the description of Bufo regularis gutturalis Power, 1927 (subsequently elevated to full species), the Angolan material has only partly been reassigned ( Ruas 1996), and the rest of the extant material needs to be reassessed to verify the taxonomic status. Additionally, this species needs to be reassessed as other authors have demonstrated that cryptic species may be present in this taxon ( Pickersgill 2007; Telford et al. 2019).

Figures

Map 7. Distribution of Sclerophrys gutturalis in Angola.

Fig. 8. Adult male Sclerophrys gutturalis from Lungwebungu River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.