Petropedetes perreti

Petropedetes perreti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Petropedetidae
Genus: Petropedetes
Species: P. perreti
Binomial name
Petropedetes perreti
Amiet, 1973

Petropedetes perreti is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is endemic to Cameroon.[1][2][3][4][5] It is known from the southern slopes of the Bamiléké Plateau, Mount Manengouba, and Mount Nlonako.[2][3] Common name Perret's water frog has been coined for it.[1][2][4]

Etymology

The specific name perreti honours Jean-Luc Perret, a Swiss herpetologist who has specialized in African amphibians.[3][4][6]

Description

Males measure 29–43 mm (1.1–1.7 in) and females 32–49 mm (1.3–1.9 in) in snout–vent length; it is a medium-sized member of its genus. The body is slender. The tympanum is distinct and nearly as large as the eye in males but distinctly smaller in females. The canthus rostralis is distinct but slightly rounded. The dorsum is brownish or greenish marbled with black parts, or more or less uniformly dark, and speckled with white minuscule spots. The hands are unwebbed whereas the feet are fully webbed.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Petropedetes perreti is a forest species that occurs along mountain streams at elevations of 1,200–1,700 m (3,900–5,600 ft) above sea level, or even higher. Adults have been found adhering with their bellies and limbs to stones in strong currents, sitting on stones amidst the river or some meters away from water, and on leaves of plants on the river sides. The egg clutches are deposited on rocks within the splash zone of rapids and waterfalls. The male appears to defend its clutch. The tadpoles can feed in the splash zone and only move to the water when disturbed.[3]

It is a common species but threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture, logging, and human settlements.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Amiet, J.-L. (2004). "Petropedetes perreti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2004: e.T58084A11716794. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Petropedetes perreti Amiet, 1973". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Barej, Michael F.; Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Gonwouo, N. L.; Pauwels, Olivier S.G.; Böhme, Wolfgang; Schmitz, Andreas (2010). "Review of the genus Petropedetes Reichenow, 1874 in Central Africa with the description of three new species (Amphibia: Anura: Petropedetidae)". Zootaxa. 2340: 1–49.
  4. 1 2 3 "Petropedetes perreti Amiet, 1973". African Amphibians. 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  5. "Petropedetes perreti". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  6. Bo Beolens; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson (22 April 2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-907807-44-2.
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