Hyperolius discodactylus Ahl, 1931

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Hyperoliidae > Subfamily: Hyperoliinae > Genus: Hyperolius > Species: Hyperolius discodactylus

Hyperolius discodactylus Ahl, 1931, Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 17: 89. Syntypes: ZMB (7 specimens originally), MCZ 17634 (on exchange from ZMB, according to Barbour and Loveridge, 1946, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 96: 128); ZMB 36089 considered, to be the holotype by Laurent, 1961, Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr., 64: 70 (although DRF has questioned this, Ahl's wording is ambiguous; he may have considered this species to have a holotype and this is the interpretation of Tillack, de Ruiter, and Rödel, 2021, Zoosyst. Evol., Berlin, 97: 421). Type locality: "Rugege-Wald und westlich des Albert-Edward-Sees". The restricted type locality is "Rugege-Wald",  corrected to "Nyungwe Forest (most likely Rwasenkoko [Uwasenkoko])" according to Liedtke, Hügli, Dehling, Pupin, Menegon, Plumptre, Kujirakwinja, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3768: 260. The description in Ahl, 1931, Das Tierreich, 55: 363, appeared subsequently according to Tillack, de Ruiter, and Rödel, 2021, Zoosyst. Evol., Berlin, 97: 421.

Hyperolius alticola Ahl, 1931, Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 17: 106. Syntypes: ZMB (2 specimens) unnumbered, according to the original publication; lost, according to Laurent, 1985, in Frost (ed.), Amph. Species World: 207, but located by Liedtke, Hügli, Dehling, Pupin, Menegon, Plumptre, Kujirakwinja, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3768: 260, and noted to include ZMB 74944 and 39008, the latter which they designated lectotype. Type locality: "Ruwenzori, 1800 m.", Dem. Rep. Congo. Synonymy by Laurent, 1947, Bull. Mus. R. Hist. Nat. Belg., 23: 1–8; Laurent, 1972, Explor. Parc Natl. Virunga, Ser. 2, 22: 72; and Schiøtz, 1999, Treefrogs Afr.: 157. The description by Ahl, 1931, Das Tierreich, 55: 380, appeared subsequently according to Tillack, de Ruiter, and Rödel, 2021, Zoosyst. Evol., Berlin, 97: 417. 

Common Names

Disc-fingered Reed Frog (Hyperolius discodactylus: Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 67).

Highland Reed Frog (Hyperolius discodactylus: Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 160).

Albertine Rift Reed Frog (Hyperolius discodactylus:Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 160 [alternative name]).

Ruwenzori Reed Frog (Hyperolius alticola [no longer recognized]: Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 66).

Distribution

Montane areas ranging from a northern limit at the Ruwenzori Mountains on the Uganda–Dem. Rep. Congo border, down the full length of the Virunga National Park, Dem. Rep. Congo, to its southwestern limits in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Dem. Rep. Congo. The range extends further south on the east side of Lake Kivu, from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda, through the Virunga Mountains in Uganda, Dem. Rep. Congo and Rwanda, the Gishwati Forest Reserve and Nyungwe Forests National Park in western Rwanda, reaching its ultimate southern limit in Bururi Forest Nature Reserve in southern Burundi. 

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Burundi, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Rwanda, Uganda

Comment

The First Revisor (under Article 24.2 of the Code), Laurent, 1947, Bull. Mus. R. Hist. Nat. Belg., 23: 1-8, followed by Laurent, 1972, Explor. Parc Natl. Virunga, Ser. 2, 22: 72, gave priority to Hyperolius discodactylus over Hyperolius alticola, so the subsequent reversal in priority by Schiøtz, 1999, Treefrogs Afr.: 157, is invalid. Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 160, provided an 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: 284. Liedtke, Hügli, Dehling, Pupin, Menegon, Plumptre, Kujirakwinja, and Loader, 2014, Zootaxa, 3768: 253–290, discussed the systematic history, morphology, molecular relationships, advertisement call, and range of the species. Dehling and Sinsch, 2019, Zool. Anz., 280: 65–77, reported on the evolution of larval and adult morphospace in the Central African Albertine Rift, including this species which they considered to be in the Hyperolius castaneus group. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 204–205, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map. Dehling and Sinsch, 2023, Diversity, 15 (512): 1–81, discussed the range, identification, natural history, advertisement call, and conservation status in Rwanda. 

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