Leptopelis christyi (Boulenger, 1912)

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 : 45-47

Leptopelis christyi (Boulenger, 1912)

Fig. 5C–E .

Area: Bechuchuu, Yalokole, Yotemankele.

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

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 171, 183, 227, 242, 243,

250, 252, 270, 271, 293, 586, 622, 638, 644, 763, 800– 802, 808, 809, 812, 813; IVB-H-CD 18341.

Comments: This treefrog is locally common (e.g., found in flooded forest) but missing or difficult to detect in other places. Two color morphs were recorded: the more common brown morph ( Fig. 5C ), and the browngreen morph (with a green dorsal triangle, stripes on limbs, and other smaller markings) which is rarely almost completely green ( Fig. 5D ). Juveniles are bright green with yellowish joints on the limbs ( Fig. 5E ). Interestingly, only a single specimen (metamorph) was found during the survey in November, when no adults were found. The metamorph was perched about 1 m high on herbaceous vegetation along a larger stream, together with tens of metamorphs of L. ocellatus schiotzi . This species was described from a forested region in Uganda and has been considered to be an eastern Central African element (e.g., Channing and Rödel 2019; Schiøtz 1999). However, based on accumulating evidence (e.g., Amiet 2012; Dewynter and Frétey 2019; V. Gvoždík, unpub. obs.), it seems that this treefrog is widespread in Central Africa from Cameroon and Gabon across the forested zone of the Congo Basin, and marginally to East Africa. Its presence in Angola is also possible.

Figures

Fig. 5. Arthroleptids, Leptopelis. (A) L. calcaratus meridionalis, brown morph (male). (B) L. calcaratus meridionalis, orange-black morph (male). (C) L. christyi, brown morph (male). (D) L. christyi, green morph (male). (E) L. christyi (juvenile). (F) L. ocellatus schiotzi (amplectant pair). (G) L. ocellatus schiotzi (male). (H) L. ocellatus schiotzi (female).