Breviceps verrucosus Rapp, 1842

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Brevicipitidae > Genus: Breviceps > Species: Breviceps verrucosus

Breviceps verrucosus Rapp, 1842, Arch. Naturgesch., 8: 291. Type(s): Not designated. Type locality: "Natal", Rep. South Africa.

Breviceps tympanifer Hewitt, 1925, Ann. Natal Mus., 5: 190. Syntypes: AMG 390 (2 specimens), by original designation (but see comments by Conradie, Branch, and Watson, 2015, Zootaxa, 3936: 52); now in PEM; PEM A4811 designated lectotype by Conradie, Branch, and Watson, 2015, Zootaxa, 3936: 52–53, and who commented on the confusing status of specimens as types generally. Type locality: "Pirie, [Eastern] C.[ape] P.[rovince]", Rep. South Africa. Synonymy by Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 72.

Breviceps rugosus Power, 1926, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., 20: 467. Holotype: MMK, by original designation. Type locality: "Marianhill, [KwaZulu-]Natal", Rep. South Africa. Synonymy by Parker, 1934, Monogr. Frogs Fam. Microhylidae: 188; Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 70.

Breviceps striatus Hoffman, 1940, Soöl. Navors. Nas. Mus. Bloemfontein, 1: 101. Holotype: NMB 1691, by original designation. Type locality: "Mazongwaan Forest, Gretown, [KwaZulu-]Natal", Rep. South Africa. Synonymy by Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 70.

Breviceps maculatus FitzSimons, 1947, Ann. Natal Mus., 11: 134. Holotype: NMP 656, by original designation. Type locality: "Bushman's Peak (8500 ft. altitude), Giant's Castle, Drakensberg, [KwaZulu-]Natal", Rep. South Africa. Synonymy by Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 84.

Breviceps verrucosus tympaniferPoynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 72. Distinctiveness from Breviceps verrucosus verrucosus rejected by Minter, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 195.

Breviceps verrucosus verrucosusPoynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 72.

English Names

Rain Frog (Breviceps tympanifer: Hewitt, 1937, Guide Vert. Fauna E. Cape Province, Rept. Amph. Fishes: 113).

Plaintive Rain Frog (Passmore and Carruthers, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 19: 4; Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 84; Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 227; Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009, Compl. Guide Frogs S. Afr.: 132).

Natal Short-headed Frog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 88).

Spotted Short-headed Frog (Breviceps maculatus [no longer recognized]: Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 87).

Distribution

Drakensburg and Eastern Plateau slopes of Rep. South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa

Comment

See accounts by Lambiris, 1988, Lammergeyer, 39: 61-62 (who noted possible sympatry between Breviceps verrucosus tympanifer and Breviceps verrucosus verrucosus), Branch, 1990, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 37: 20, Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 228, Minter, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 194-195, and Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009, Compl. Guide Frogs S. Afr.: 132-133. Breviceps maculatus was resurrected by Lambiris, 1988, Lammergeyer, 39: 65, who provided a brief account, but this resurrection was disputed by Channing, 1989, Lammergeyer, 40: 2, who noted that the difference between the taxa was solely a minor difference in color pattern). Bates and Haacke, 2003, Navors. Nas. Mus. Bloemfontein, 19: 121-122, discussed the species in Lesotho. In the Breviceps gibbosus group of Nielsen, Daniels, Conradie, Heinicke, and Noonan, 2018, J. Biogeograph., 45: 2067–2079, who reported on molecular phylogenetics and biogeography. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 122–123, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map. 

External links:

Please note: these links will take you to external websites not affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History. We are not responsible for their content.