Du Toit's torrent frog
| Du Toit's torrent frog | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Petropedetidae |
| Genus: | Arthroleptides |
| Species: | A. dutoiti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Arthroleptides dutoiti Loveridge, 1935
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Petropedetes dutoiti (Loveridge, 1935) | |
Du Toit's torrent frog, the Mt. Elgon torrent frog, or the Kenya rocky river frog (Arthroleptides dutoiti) is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae endemic to Mount Elgon in Kenya; it has not been found on the Ugandan part of the mountain.[2] It is one of many, often taxonomically unrelated, frogs referred to as torrent frogs.
The species was found by Cornelius Albertus du Toit,[3] who collected the frog holotype in 1934. Dr. du Toit was a member of the Cape Town University, a founder member of the Zoological Society of South Africa, and Professor of Zoology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He wrote Zoological research in South Africa in 1961.
Discovery and naming
[edit]From 1933 to 1934, the Museum of Comparative Zoology conducted surveys of the reptiles and amphibians in the rainforests of Kenya and Uganda. During a survey on January 8, 1934, Cornelius Albertus du Toit discovered a species of frog in the Koitobos River on the eastern slopes of Mount Elgon in Kenya, about 7,200 ft (2,194.6 m) above sea level. He collected three individuals, which would later be studied and recognized as a new species by British biologist Arthur Loveridge in 1935. Loveridge named this species Arthroleptides dutoiti after its discoverer, designating a gravid female specimen as the holotype of the species, while the other two specimens (an adult male and a young individual) were designated as paratypes.[4] The species was next recorded in April 1962, when US herpetologist Ronalda Keith collected an additional eight individuals about 7,000 ft (2,133.6 m) above sea level at the Suam River, around 10 km (6.2 miles) from the type locality.[5]
Description
[edit]A. dutoiti is a small frog, about 31 mm (1.2 in) in length. Its head is slightly broader than long, with distinctly visible tympana. The toes but not the fingers are half-webbed. The skin of the back is distinctly warty and pitted, but smooth elsewhere. This species is black in colour, except for the digit tips that are slightly white-edged.[6]
Habitat
[edit]A. dutoiti is found in and around rocky montane streams. Eggs are laid on wet rocks close to torrential streams and waterfalls, and the tadpoles develop on the rocks, out of the water.[1][6]
Conservation
[edit]A. dutoiti is an EDGE species, reflecting its evolutionary distinctness and endangered status. It was last seen in 1962, despite later surveys. Because the habitat of this species appears to be generally in good condition, its disappearance might have been caused by disease such as chytridiomycosis.[7][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Arthroleptides dutoiti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2119A13322361. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T2119A13322361.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Arthroleptides dutoiti Loveridge, 1935". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "More than a hundred years of science". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
- ^ Loveridge, Arthur; Loveridge, Arthur (1935). "Scientific results of an expedition to rain forest regions in eastern Africa. I. New reptiles and amphibians from East Africa". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 79: 1–19.
- ^ Ngwava, Jacob M; Barratt, Christopher D; Boakes, Elizabeth; Bwong, Beryl A; Channing, Alan; Couchman, Olivia; Lötters, Stefan; Malonza, Patrick K; Muchai, Vincent; Nguku, Julius K; Nyamache, Joash; Owen, Nisha; Wasonga, Victor; Loader, Simon P (2021-01-02). "Species-specific or assemblage-wide decline? The case of Arthroleptides dutoiti Loveridge, 1935 and the amphibian assemblage of Mount Elgon, Kenya". African Journal of Herpetology. 70 (1): 53–60. doi:10.1080/21564574.2021.1891977. ISSN 2156-4574.
- ^ a b c "Du Toit's Torrent Frog (Petropedetes dutoiti)". EDGE of Existence programme. Zoological Society of London. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Arthroleptides dutoiti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2119A13322361. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T2119A13322361.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.