''Hyperolius microps'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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

Hyperoliidae The Hyperoliidae, or sedge frogs and bush frogs, are a large family of small to medium-sized, brightly colored frogs which contains more than 250 species in 19 genera. Seventeen genera are native to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the monotypic ...

. It is known with some certainty from northern Malawi, extreme northern Mozambique, Tanzania, and coastal Kenya; presumably its range extends into adjacent Zambia. However, its range and delimitation differs widely between sources (see below).

Range and taxonomy

''Hyperolius microps'' was described in 1864 by

Albert Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther (3 October 1830 – 1 February 1914), was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Günther is ranked the second-most productive re ...

based on material collected from extreme northern Mozambique. The understanding of this taxon and its relationships to other taxa described later has changed greatly over time, and differences persist between sources. While the

Amphibian Species of the World ''Amphibian Species of the World 6.1: An Online Reference'' (ASW) is a herpetology database. It lists the names of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians, which scientists first described each species and what year, and the animal's known range. ...

considers ''Hyperolius acuticeps'' as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''Hyperolius microps'', the AmphibiaWeb recognizes both species as distinct and gives a broad distribution extending into West and South Africa for ''Hyperolius acuticeps''. The

IUCN SSC The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natura ...

Amphibian Specialist Group only recognizes ''Hyperolius acuticeps'' but limits it to Malawi and Tanzania. Channing and Rödel (2019) only recognize ''Hyperolius microps'' but gives a slightly more restricted distribution than the Amphibian Species of the World.

Description

Males grow to and females to in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The snout is sharply rounded. The toes are almost completely webbed. The fingers and toes bear discs that are larger in the former. The dorsum is green with a darker vertebral band composed of dense pigmented cells. There are pale lateral bands bordered by darker spots and a darker dorsolateral stripe. Males have yellow throat and the upper surfaces of digital discs. The male advertisement call is a brief, high-pitched "buzz" consisting of 25 pulses and lasting about a quarter of a second.

Habitat and conservation

''Hyperolius microps'' occurs in

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

and grassland in association with emergent vegetation at the margins of swamps, rivers,

vlei A vlei () is a shallow minor lake, mostly of a seasonal or intermittent nature. It even might refer to seasonal ponds or marshy patches where frogs and similar marsh dwellers breed. Commonly, vleis vary in their extent, or even in the presence ...

s, lakes, and pools. Males call from flooded grass. A general threat to the habitat of this species is conversion of grassland into agricultural land and diversion of water for agricultural purposes. It is present in a number of protected areas in Malawi (

Nyika National Park Nyika National Park is Malawi’s largest national park, with an area of 3200 km2 (1250 mile2). Location and road access The park covers practically the whole of the Nyika Plateau in northern Malawi, about 480 km north of Lilongwe and 60 km ...

and Kaningina and Chongoni Forest Reserves).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q40484630, from2=Q1943170 Acuticeps Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Kenya Amphibians of Malawi Amphibians of Mozambique Amphibians of Tanzania Taxa named by Albert Günther Amphibians described in 1864 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot