''Nectophrynoides laevis'', the smooth forest toad, is a species of

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

in the family

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat m ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Tanzania. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

s, subtropical or tropical low-altitude

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

and

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s. A single specimen was collected in 2002 and it was first described in 2004.

Description

This toad is known only from a single specimen which was in snout to vent length. It is a robust toad with

paratoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known collective ...

s twice as long as they are wide and no

tympani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...

, a fact which distinguishes it from the otherwise similar ''

Nectophrynoides viviparus ''Nectophrynoides viviparus'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Tanzania. Common names robust forest toad and Morogoro tree toad have been coined for it. Description ''Nectophrynoides viviparus'' is a robust toad wh ...

''. The back is a dappled grey colour, smooth and covered with small warts. A dark line runs along the spine. The belly is whitish with a central dark line which continues along the inside of the limbs. There are large glands on the limbs and there is some webbing on the hind feet but none on the fore feet. The tips of the digits are noticeably enlarged.

Distribution

The single specimen of ''Nectophrynoides laevis'' was found in the

Uluguru Mountains The Uluguru mountains are a mountain range in eastern Tanzania, named after the Luguru tribe. The main portion of the Uluguru mountains is a ridge running roughly north-south and rising to altitude at its highest point. On the main Uluguru rang ...

in eastern Tanzania. This area is tropical, forest-clad and mountainous but the exact habitat in which it was found is unknown but is likely to be at an altitude of at least above sea level.

Life cycle

As this species is known from a single male specimen, its life cycle is unknown. However, other members of its

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

are

ovoviviparous Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...

, with small toads developing from eggs retained inside the female's body, and it is probable that it also produces live young in this way.

Status

As this species has only recently been described, its conservation status is unclear and it is listed as "

Data Deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

" by the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

. The Uluguru South Forest Reserve where it is found is a remote area in the Uluguru Mountains where it would appear to face few threats.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q592006 laevis Amphibians described in 2004 Endemic fauna of Tanzania Amphibians of Tanzania Taxonomy articles created by Polbot