''Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi'' 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

Phrynobatrachidae ''Phrynobatrachus'' is a genus of Sub-Saharan frogs that form the monogeneric family Phrynobatrachidae. Their common name is puddle frogs, dwarf puddle frogs, African puddle frogs, or African river frogs. The common name, puddle frog, refers to ...

. It is found in submontane and montane regions within the Cameroon volcanic line (

Mount Manengouba Mount Muanenguba (also spelled Manenguba or Mwanenguba) is a volcano in the Southwest Province of Cameroon. The Manenguba shrew and endemic vegetal species are native to the mountain. The area is featured in the documentary ''The Mists of Mwanengub ...

Bamboutos Mountains The Bambouto massif or Bamboutos Mountains is a group of volcanoes based on a swell in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, located in the Western High Plateau of Cameroon, merging in the north with the Oku Volcanic Field. Geology The large volcanic comp ...

, Mount Lefo, and

Mount Oku Mount Oku, or Kilum Mountain, is the largest volcano in the Oku Massif, in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, located in the Oku region of the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. It is the second highest mountain in mainland Central Africa. The stratovolc ...

) as well as the adjacent

Obudu Plateau --> Obudu Plateau is a plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River State, in the southeast of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross River State. The plateau extends toward ...

in the southeast of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It is named after James (Jim) Zimkus by his wife, Breda Zimkus, the first author of the

species description A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

. Common name Jim Zimkus' puddle frog has been proposed for this species.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females 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 body shape is compact and the hind limbs are strong. The tympanum is indistinct or only scarcely visible; supratympanic fold is present. Fingers lack webbing and have small but distinct discs. Toes are moderately to extensively webbed and have small discs. Dorsal coloration varies from medium to dark brown. Coloration may appear uniform but typically includes some lighter and darker spots. Some individuals have a thick, light brown mid-dorsal stripe. Ventral coloration is similarly mottled in the pectoral and abdominal regions.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi'' occurs in calm, pool-like passages of rapid streams in montane forests, including stream-fringing forests in montane

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 ...

, 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 ...

. Furthermore, it can sometimes be found along streams in open grassland, especially at higher elevations, and can persist in very degraded habitats, even in those without canopy cover. Females attach clutches of eggs in small groups to root hairs or vegetation floating in the water column. 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 live in pools in streams. This species seems to be diurnal. Once locally abundant, this species has declined in recent years. Although conclusive evidence is lacking, the decline is similar to that caused by

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 ...

for other montane amphibians. It is also highly threatened by agricultural pressure including cattle grazing, use of herbicides and pesticides, burning of montane grasslands, and harvesting for firewood, as well as by expanding human settlements. It is present in the

Cross River National Park The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most ...

in Nigeria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14514589 jimzimkusi Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Cameroon Amphibians of West Africa Fauna of Nigeria Amphibians described in 2013