''Phrynobatrachus parkeri'' 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 ...

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

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 the west-central and northeastern

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. It is only known from a few widely separated localities. It is similar to ''

Phrynobatrachus acridoides ''Phrynobatrachus acridoides'' is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is widely distributed in the lowlands of eastern Africa, from Kenya and southern Somalia in the north and southward to Tanzania (including the Mafia, Zanzibar ...

'' (Cope, 1867), and it might be 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 the latter. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''parkeri'' honors

Hampton Wildman Parker Hampton Wildman Parker (5 July 1897 – 2 September 1968) was an English zoologist. Parker was Keeper of Zoology at the Natural History Museum from 1947 to 1957. He is the author of several works on snakes and frogs: Parker discovered a new speci ...

, an English zoologist and herpetologist. Common name Parker's river frog has been coined for it.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The head is longer than it is broad, but the snout is short. The tympanum is present but may be obscured by skin. The toe tips are dilated into small but distinct, round discs. The toes are moderately webbed, distinguishing it from the more extensively webbed ''Phrynobatrachus acridoides''. There is a pair of concave ridges on the anterior part of the dorsum. Coloration is polymorphic. One form is dorsally dark greyish brown, usually with black areas overlying the dermal ridges. The second color morph is otherwise similar but has a narrow yellow or orange vertebral stripe superimposed on the previous pattern. The third morph has a reddish brown dorsum, edged with a black line and grayish brown sides. Most individuals have a narrow oblique stripe on the rear of the thigh. All individuals have whitish bellies, and males may have a grey or black throat. Mature males have a sub

gular Gular is of or pertaining to the throat, and may more specifically refer to: * Gular scales in reptiles * Gular scute, or gular projection, in turtles and tortoises * Gular fold in lizards * Gular skin, or gular sac, in birds and some gibbons Ot ...

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...

, grey nuptials pads, and many tiny spinules on the throat and the chest.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus parkeri'' occurs in grassy and shrubby

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 in gallery forests. In the

Garamba National Park Garamba National Park is a nearly national park in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is among Africa's oldest parks, and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 for its protection of critical habitat for norther ...

, the majority (two thirds) of individuals were found in wet environments (marshes, springs, ponds, streams). Breeding probably takes place throughout the wet season. Males call at all times of the day, often from very small pools. This is a poorly known species. It was abundant in the Garamba National Park. It is believed to be adaptable and not to face significant threats.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2244134 Parkeri Frogs of Africa Amphibians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Endemic fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Taxa named by Gaston-François de Witte Amphibians described in 1933 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot