Heleophryne purcelli Sclater, 1898

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Heleophrynidae > Genus: Heleophryne > Species: Heleophryne purcelli

Heleophryne purcelli Sclater, 1898, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., 1: 111. Holotype: SAM 1313, according to Boycott, 1982, Ann. Cape Prov. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 14: 89-108. Type locality: "Jonkers Hoek Valley near Stellenbosch", Western Cape Province, Rep. South Africa.

Heleophryne purcelli purcelli — FitzSimons, 1946, Ann. Transvaal Mus., 20: 369; Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 38.

Common Names

Cape Ghost Frog (Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 54; Boycott, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 104).

Purcell's Torrent Frog (Van Dijk, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 17: 14).

Purcell's Ghost Frog (Van Dijk, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 17: 14).

Purcell's African Ghost Frog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 51).

Distribution

Central Cederberg Mountains south of the Breede River to the Hottentots Holland Mountains, and east to the Langeberg Mountains near Montagu, Rep. South Africa.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: South Africa

Endemic: South Africa

Comment

Formerly three subspecies recognized; see Boycott, 1982, Ann. Cape Prov. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 14: 89-108, of which two, Heleophryne orientalis and Heleophryne depressa, are now considered a distinct species. Branch, 1995, Afr. Herp News, 23: 38-39, discussed publication data. See accounts (in the sense of including Heleophryne depressa as a subspecies) by Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 113-114, Boycott, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 104-105, and Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009, Compl. Guide Frogs S. Afr.: 208-209. Channing, Rödel, and Channing, 2012, Tadpoles of Africa: 174–175, reported on comparative tadpole morphology. Du Preez and Carruthers, 2017, Frogs S. Afr., Compl. Guide: 224–225, provided an account, including a polygon range map, photograph, identification features, adult and larval morphology, habitat, and call. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 54–55, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map. Dorse and Dorse, 2023, Field Guide Fynbos Fauna: 34–35, provided a brief account, polygon range map, and photograph.

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