''Aubria masako'' is a species of frog 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 found in southeastern Cameroon, eastern Gabon, southwestern Central African Republic, northern

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

, and eastward to the central Democratic Republic of the Congo, with one (doubtful) record from Angola; it might occur in

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

. Common names Masako ball frog and Masako fishing frog have been coined for this species. Whether it is distinct from ''

Aubria subsigillata ''Aubria subsigillata'', commonly known as the brown ball frog or the West African brown frog, is a species of frog belonging to the family Pyxicephalidae. It has a discontinuous distribution from southern Guinea through Liberia and Ivory Coast, ...

'' has been debated, but at present it is treated as a valid species.

Description

Adult males typically measure in snout–vent length; females are larger. Their maximum length is about . The tympanum is large and distinct, and the supratympanic fold is present. The finger and toe tips are rounded, but not enlarged. The fingers have only some dermal fringes, whereas the toes are moderately webbed. The dorsum is brown and has dark speckles. A white or off-white vertebral line may be present. The underside is speckled white over a brown background, turning almost entirely white in older individuals (the exception being from the throat). Both sexes have conspicuous yellow-brown femoral glands close to the knee.

Habitat and ecology

''A. masako'' occurs in swamps or along small streams in lowland forests, gallery forests, and degraded secondary habitats (farm bush) in the forest zone. Breeding takes places in standing water - pools, swamps, and marshes. It is

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, burrowing in mud when inactive. Somewhat unusually for an amphibian, its diet consists of fish (e.g., ''

Epiplatys ''Epiplatys'' is a genus of African rivuline in the family (biology), family Nothobranchiidae endemism, endemic to Africa as the name indicates. Several of these species are popular aquarium fish. Species These are the currently recognized speci ...

''), arthropods, and other amphibians, including younger conspecifics.

Conservation

Although it is considered an adaptable species, in parts of its range, ''A. masako'' is only known from pristine habitats. Nevertheless, this species is not considered to face any significant threats. It is presumed to be found in several protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2620959

masako Masako (written: , , or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * *, (1888–1940), 6th daughter of Emperor Meiji *, Japanese long-distance runner *Masako Ebisu (born 1945), Japanese voice actress *, ...

Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Angola Amphibians of Cameroon Amphibians of the Central African Republic Amphibians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Amphibians of Gabon Amphibians of the Republic of the Congo Amphibians described in 1990 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot