Palm forest tree frog
| Leptopelis palmatus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Arthroleptidae |
| Genus: | Leptopelis |
| Species: | L. palmatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Leptopelis palmatus (Peters, 1868) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hylambates palmatus Peters, 1868 | |
The palm forest tree frog, Leptopelis palmatus, is a species of frog in the Arthroleptidae family endemic to the Príncipe island, in São Tomé and Príncipe. Red tree frog Leptopelis rufus from the African mainland was for a long time included in this species, but is now considered a distinct species.[2][3][4]
Description
Palm forest tree frog is a large species: females measure 81–110 mm (3.2–4.3 in) in snout–vent length. The tympanum is large. The dorsum is typically dark green to black, sometimes with many light spots giving the frog a marbled appearance. The ventrum is dark and has a granular surface.[4]
Habitat and conservation
The natural habitats of palm forest tree frog are wet forests along the edges of creeks and streams to 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level, possibly to 1000 m. It also occurs in forest remnants and possibly in towns. It is believed that eggs are buried close to water; the tadpoles move into pools or streams where they complete their development.[1]
It is a reasonably common species throughout the island, although habitat loss is a potential future threat.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Drewes, R. & Schiøtz, A. (2004). "Leptopelis palmatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) 2004: e.T56275A11438231. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Leptopelis palmatus (Peters, 1868)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "Leptopelis palmatus (Peters, 1868)". African Amphibians. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Leptopelis palmatus". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.