Hyperolius spinigularis Stevens, 1971

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

Hyperolius spinigularis Stevens, 1971, Zool. Afr., 6: 313. Holotype: NMZB (formerly UM) 19815, by original designation. Type locality: "an overgrown pool in a dambo area on Chisambo Tea Estate, Mulanje, Malawi, at 655 metres above sea-level".

Common Names

Spiny-throated Reed Frog (Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 180; Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 182).

Spiny Reed Frog (Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 180 [alternative name]).

Mulanje Reed Frog (Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 180 [alternative name]).

Distribution

Mount Mulanje, Malawi; Mount Namuli in adjacent Mozambique (see comment). 

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Malawi, Mozambique

Comment

A composite as understood prior to 2015. Following the naming by Loader, Lawson, Portik, and Menegon, 2015, BMC Res. Notes, 8 (Art. 167): 1–16, of Hyperolius burgessi, Hyperolius davenporti, and Hyperolius ukwiva from Tanzania, Hyperolius spinigularis was restricted to Malawi and Mozambique (although specific localities for this country were not noted). The authors also provided a key to the species of the Hyperolius spinigularis group. With respect to the older concept of the species, see comment by Schiøtz and Westergaard, 2000, Steenstrupia, 25: 8, and accounts by Schiøtz, 1999, Treefrogs Afr.: 178–180, Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 180–181, Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 182–183, and Pickersgill, 2007, Frog Search: 372–373 (who suggested that this species is closely related to Hyperolius puncticulatus). Menegon, Doggart, and Owen, 2008, Acta Herpetol., Firenze, 3: 107–127, provided a record for the Nguru Mountains of eastern Tanzania. Mercurio, 2011, Amph. Malawi: 191–198, provided an account for Malawi. Channing, Rödel, and Channing, 2012, Tadpoles of Africa: 222–223, provided information on comparative larval morphology (in the sense of including Tanzanian species under this name). Harper, Measey, Patrick, Menegon, and Vonesh, 2010, Field Guide Amph. E. Arc Mts. Tanzania and Kenya: 204–205, provided a brief account and photograph.  Portik, Mulungu, Sequeira, and McEntee, 2013, Herpetol. Rev., 44: 395, provided a record (Hyperolius cf. spinigularis) for Mount Namuli in  Zambézia Province, Mozambique. Channing and Rödel, 2019, Field Guide Frogs & Other Amph. Afr.: 202–203, provided a brief account, photograph, and range map. 

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