''Amietia vertebralis'', also known as Maluti river frog, aquatic river frog, ice frog, large-mouthed frog, or water frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s in the family

Pyxicephalidae The Pyxicephalidae are a family of frogs currently found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the Eocene, the taxon '' Thaumastosaurus'' lived in Europe. Classification The Pyxicephalidae contain two subfamilies, with a total of 12 genera. This f ...

. It is an aquatic high-altitude species found in

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

and neighbouring South Africa.

Description

It is dark brown with a very warty skin and a somewhat squat appearance. It is a relatively large frog with a length from nose to vent of and from nose to toe; females are larger than males. The greatest width of its head is . Its belly and insides of legs are white with a dark reticulation. The toes have extensive webbing. The

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s are large and robust-bodied, with a

Gosner stage Gosner stage is a generalized system of describing stages of embryonal and larval development in anurans (frogs and toads). The Gosner system includes 46 numbered stages, from fertilized embryo (stage 1) to the completion of metamorphosis (stage ...

40 tadpole measuring in total length. The body, tail, and fins are darkly mottled.

Habitat and ecology

''Amietia vertebralis'' occurs in cold, clear mountain streams of montane grasslands at elevations of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. It is a water-dependent and largely aquatic species that can stay underwater for long periods (up to 30 hours); during the winter months, it can be seen swimming under ice, although tadpoles can sometimes get trapped in ice. Breeding occurs during the warmer time of the year. Males calling submerged or with just the head protruding. Eggs are deposited in large clutches that become attached to sunken vegetation.

Tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s and juveniles spend more time closer to the surface and in shallower pools than adults.

Freshwater crab Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...

s form a large part of its diet.

Conservation

It is a locally abundant species that is typically associated with pristine areas, although it can also occur in polluted sites. It can be locally be threatened by afforestation, dam building, and

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

(which causes siltation of rivers). Other potential threats include

chytridiomycosis Chytridiomycosis ( ) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' and ''Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans''. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extincti ...

and introduced fish such as trout. Its use in local traditional medicine for treating burns is probably not occurring at a level that could constitute a threat to the species. It is present in a number of protected areas in both Lesotho and South Africa.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1610490 vertebralis Frogs of Africa Vertebrates of Lesotho Amphibians of South Africa Taxa named by John Hewitt (herpetologist) Amphibians described in 1927 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot