Leptopelis vermiculatus (Boulenger, 1909)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Arthroleptidae > Subfamily: Leptopelinae > Genus: Leptopelis > Species: Leptopelis vermiculatus

Hylambates vermiculatus Boulenger, 1909, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 8, 4: 497. Holotype: BMNH, by original designation; identified as BMNH 1947.2.20.11 (formerly 1909.10.19.20), by Gvoždík, Tillack, Menegon, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3793: 167. Type locality: "Amani", Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.

Leptopelis vermiculatusBarbour and Loveridge, 1928, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., 50: 238.

Leptopelis signifer Ahl, 1929, Sitzungsber. Ges. Naturforsch. Freunde Berlin, 1929: 216. Syntypes: ZMB (3 specimens) unnumbered, according to the original publication; one of these, MCZ 17530 (on exchange from ZMB) is likely a paratype, not a syntype (see Barbour and Loveridge, 1946, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 96: 141); ZMB 11773A designated lectotype by Gvoždík, Tillack, Menegon, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3793: 181. Type locality: "Derema", Tanzania, this rendered as "'Derema', East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, approx. 5.05°S 38.66°E" by Gvoždík, Tillack, Menegon, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3793: 181. De Witte, 1941, Explor. Parc Natl. Albert, Miss. G.F. de Witte (1933–1935), 33: 102, reported the syntypes ("cotypes") as being from "Urwald zwischen Beni und Mboga". Synonymy by Loveridge, 1933, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 74: 346, and Schiøtz, 1975, Treefrogs E. Afr.: 39. Formerly considered a junior synonym of Leptopelis christyi by Laurent, 1972, Explor. Parc Natl. Virunga, Ser. 2, 22: 50. 

English Names

Amani Forest Treefrog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 69).

Vermiculated Tree Frog (Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 210).

Distribution

Forests of the East and West Usambara, Nguu, Nguru, Udzungwa, Mahenge, and Poroto mountains, as well as Mount Rungwe, southern Tanzania, 900–1800 m elevation.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Tanzania

Endemic: Tanzania

Comment

Schiøtz, 1975, Treefrogs E. Afr.: 42, noted that this species is easily confused with Leptopelis flavomaculatusSchiøtz, 1999, Treefrogs Afr.: 280–281, and Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 210–211, provided accounts. Loader, Poynton, and Mariaux, 2004, Afr. Zool., 39: 71–76, provided a record for Mahenge Mountain in Tanzania and detailed the range. Pickersgill, 2007, Frog Search: 491–492, provided a brief account. See photograph, map, description of geographic range and habitat, and conservation status in Stuart, Hoffmann, Chanson, Cox, Berridge, Ramani, and Young, 2008, Threatened Amph. World: 291. Menegon, Doggart, and Owen, 2008, Acta Herpetol., Firenze, 3: 107–127, provided a record for the Nguru Mountains of eastern Tanzania. Channing, Rödel, and Channing, 2012, Tadpoles of Africa: 120–121, reported on comparative tadpole morphology. See taxonomic and descriptive comments by Gvoždík, Tillack, Menegon, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3793: 165–187. Harper, Measey, Patrick, Menegon, and Vonesh, 2010, Field Guide Amph. E. Arc Mts. Tanzania and Kenya: 76–77, provided a brief account for the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 226–227, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map. 

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