Nectophrynoides viviparus (Tornier, 1905)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Bufonidae > Genus: Nectophrynoides > Species: Nectophrynoides viviparus

Pseudophryne vivipara Tornier, 1905, Sitzungsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 39: 855. Syntypes: ZMB (lost?) and (according to museum records) BMNH 1935.2.8.4 (now reregistered 1947.2.19.45); MHNG 1221.55 designated neotype in error by Perret, 1972, Ann. Fac. Sci. Cameroun, 11: 112, who apparently did not realize that a syntype survived in the BMNH according to implication of Poynton, 1996, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 53: 229. Loader, Poynton, Davenport, and Rödel, 2009, Zootaxa, 2304: 41–50, identified the original type series as ZMB 21775, 71524–25 (Kratersee des Nyisvulkans), 25419, 3400, 71531–34, 71187–95 (Rungwe), 25261, 71529–30, 25312, 25268, 71535–37 (südliches Deutsch Ost-Afrika), and BMNH 1947.2.1945 (südliches Deutsch Ost-Afrika). ZMB 21775 designated lectotype by Loader, Poynton, Davenport, and Rödel, 2009, Zootaxa, 2304: 42. Type localities: "Daressalam; . . . Rungwe und im Kingagebirge", Tanzania; invalid neotype not selected from original type locality but "Morogoro, Mt Uluguru, Tanzanie". Lectotype from "Kratersee des Nyisvulkans", Tanzania.

Nectophryne werthi Nieden, 1911 "1910", Sitzungsber. Ges. Naturforsch. Freunde Berlin, 1910: 439. Syntypes: ZMB (7 specimens), by original designation. Given as ZMB 21784 and 71528 by Loader, Poynton, Davenport, and Rödel, 2009, Zootaxa, 2304: 42. Type locality: "Dar es Salaam", Tanzania. Synonymy by Perret, 1972, Ann. Fac. Sci. Cameroun, 11: 93–119.

Tornierobates vivipara — Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926, Arq. Mus. Nac., Rio de Janeiro, 27: 19.

Nectophrynoides vivipara — Noble, 1926, Am. Mus. Novit., 212: 15; Barbour and Loveridge, 1928, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., 50: 191.

Nectophrynoides viviparus — Perret, 1971, Ann. Fac. Sci. Cameroun, 6: 99.

Common Names

Southern Highlands Gladular Tree Toad (Thrane, Lyakurwa, Liedtke, Menegon, Petzold, Loader, and Scherz, 2025, Vert. Zool., Senckenberg, 75: 466).

Chura Manundu Wa Nyanda Za Juu Kusini (Kiswahili: Thrane, Lyakurwa, Liedtke, Menegon, Petzold, Loader, and Scherz, 2025, Vert. Zool., Senckenberg, 75: 466). 

Robust Forest Toad (Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 115).

Robust Viviparous Toad (Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 106).

Morogoro Tree Toad (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 45).

Distribution

Restricted to the Poroto Mountains, of west-central Tanzania; populations of unnamed species formerly associated with this name remaining in the Rubeho, Uluguru, Ukaguru, Nguru, and Nguu mountains of central Tanzania. 

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Tanzania

Endemic: Tanzania

Comment

 Thrane, Lyakurwa, Liedtke, Menegon, Petzold, Loader, and Scherz, 2025, Vert. Zool., Senckenberg, 75: 459–485, partitioned the nominal species on the basis of genetic and morphometric data, and restricted it to the Poroto Mountains. Literature from before 2025 should be used with caution. Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 115–116, and Pickersgill, 2007, Frog Search: 556, provided accounts. 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: 198. Loader, Poynton, Davenport, and Rödel, 2009, Zootaxa, 2304: 41–50, discussed the type series and redescribed the lectotype. Harper, Measey, Patrick, Menegon, and Vonesh, 2010, Field Guide Amph. E. Arc Mts. Tanzania and Kenya: 152–153, provided a brief account and photograph. Ngalason and Mkonyi, 2011, Fieldiana, Life Earth Sci., 2011 (4): 81–89, found the species at 1900 m elevation on Uluguru South mountains, Tanzania. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 106–107, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map.

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