Usambara Torrent Frog
Arthroleptides martiensseni
The Usambara torrent frog (Arthroleptides martiensseni), also known as Martienssen's torrent frog or Tanzania rocky river frog, is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is endemic to the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, where it is found 200–1,000 m (656.2–3,280.8 ft) above sea level. It is one of many, often taxonomically unrelated, frogs referred to as torrent frogs. It is mostly grey brown to yellowish brown, with a lighter underside and a dark stripe extending from the nostril to the shoulder, and can grow 59 mm (2.3 in) long.
The species was first described in 1911 by German zoologist Fritz Nieden, who studied a series of specimens collected two years prior. The scientific name is derived from Arthroleptis, a genus of frogs which this species bears some resemblance to, and Georg Martienssen, the German military commander who collected a specimen of this species. Some populations once thought to belong to this species are now known to represent different, related species such as the southern torrent frog. This frog is largely associated with rocky streams in montane forests, but can also be found in forest leaf litter far from water. It is a nocturnal species, emerging from shelters beneath boulders at night to catch prey such as smaller frogs. Eggs are laid on rocks close to torrential streams and waterfalls. The tadpoles remain attached to the rocks, where they develop, not entering the water. The species has been listed as Endangered by the IUCN as it is threatened by habitat loss and possibly the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.
From the article Usambara torrent frog on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The Usambara torrent frog is an amphibian of moderate size, with the adult male type specimen collected in 1909 measuring 50 mm (2.0 in) in snout-vent length, and another, larger individual found in the same year measuring 59 mm (2.3 in). The head is about as long as it is wide, with a rather flat, blunt-tipped snout and a prominent canthal ridge (the ridge connecting the snout tip to the front edge of the eye). No vomerine teeth are present in this species. The nostrils are located around twice as far from the eyes as from the snout tip, and the distance between the eyes is slightly more than the width of the upper eyelid. The tympana are distinctly visible, each a little less than two thirds as wide as the eyes, which have horizontal pupils. The tips of the digits are broadened into wide discs, each with a slight groove. The length of the hind legs down to the tibiotarsal joint exceeds the snout-vent length. In mature individuals, the skin is generally smooth, but younger frogs possess warts arranged in regularly spaced rows down their backs. …
Range & habitat
Prior to 2002, it was believed that all frogs in Tanzania belonging to the genus Arthroleptides were Usambara torrent frogs. However, it is now known that some populations formerly lumped into this species are actually separate species, with the southern torrent frog occurring in the Udzungwa, Uluguru and Mahenge mountains, and an unnamed Arthroleptides species living in the Nguru Mountains. Currently, "true" Usambara torrent frogs are believed to be endemic to the Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania, where they occur at elevations of 200–1,000 m (656.2–3,280.8 ft) above sea level and have an estimated extent of occurrence of 635.45 km2 (245.3 sq mi). This species is largely restricted to mature forest, especially along rocky montane streams, though it can occur far from water and has been recorded in a tea estate.
Wikipedia: “Distribution and habitat”
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This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 476406.