''Phrynobatrachus ukingensis'' 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 recorded in several places in southern and eastern

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

and in northern and southern

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

(Ukinga and

Rungwe Rungwe is a District in Mbeya Region, Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Mbeya Rural District, to the east by Iringa Region, to the southeast by Kyela District, to the southwest by Ileje District and to the west by Mbeya District. Accord ...

mountains in the southern Tanzania and 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 the east; the Misuku Mountains and Nchenachena in northern Malawi, and Maroka in the highlands southwest of the

Zomba Massif The Zomba Plateau, also called the Zomba Massif, is a mountain of the Shire Highlands in southern Malawi. Its total area is about , with a highest point of . The plateau is roughly pear-shaped. The southern portion is known as Zomba Mountain, a ...

in southern Malawi); it probably occurs more widely, at least in areas in between the known localities. Common names Ukinga puddle frog and Ukinga river frog have been coined for it.

Description

''Phrynobatrachus ukingensis'' is a small species; 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 moderate. The tympanum is hidden. The finger and toe tips are dilated into small but distinct discs. The toes have reduced webbing. The dorsum is mainly brown or olive and minutely mottled with dusky brown. A light vertebral line may be present, with similar lines on the thighs and

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

e. There is a continuous, light sub-tympanic band, extending from the lower eyelid to the base of the arm, typically bordered by an irregular dark band. The posterior parts of the venter are largely transparent. Females have dusky specklings or freckling on the throat; this may extend to the breast. Males have dusky to black throat and a cream-color patch across the belly at the midbody; when deflated, the

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 ...

often forms a transverse fold.

Habitat and conservation

This species occurs in montane forests, forest edges, and open montane grasslands 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 ...

, perhaps somewhat higher. It seems to be associated with marshy areas. Males call hidden in the base of grasses near pools and other small water bodies; the eggs are laid in water and float on the surface. ''Phrynobatrachus ukingensis'' is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

caused by

agricultural expansion Agricultural expansion describes the growth of agricultural land (arable land, pastures, etc.) especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. The agricultural expansion is often explained as a direct consequence of the global increase in food and ene ...

, wood extraction, and expanding human settlements. It occurs in a number of protected areas, including the

Kitulo National Park Kitulo National Park is a protected area of montane grassland and montane forest on the Kitulo Plateau in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The park is at an elevation of between the peaks of the Kipengere and Poroto mountains and covers an ...

in southern Tanzania.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2245497 ukingensis Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Malawi Amphibians of Tanzania Taxa named by Arthur Loveridge Amphibians described in 1932 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot