''Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis'' is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to eastern Tanzania and is known from the Udzungwa,

Uluguru 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 ...

, Nguu, and

Nguru Mountains The Nguru Mountains are a mountain range in Morogoro Region, Tanzania, Africa. The Nguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The mountains are predominantly covered with rainforest, home to 83 species of birds (Romdal 2001) and A ...

. Common names Ukinga puddle frog and Udzungwa puddle frog have been coined for this species.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The body is stocky. The snout is slightly pointed. The tympanum is inconspicuous. The toes are broadly webbed. The finger and toe tips are expanded and have circummarginal grooves. The dorsum has rich, reddish brown colouration. A large, red or orange transverse zone between the arm insertions across the shoulders may be present; it is bordered by a darker brown or blackish transverse band. Additional patterning may include a dark interorbital band or inverted triangle, and chevrons or dark transverse bands at the level of the axillae. A pale area in front of the interorbital band and a pale spot between the shoulders are often evident. The limbs have crossbars, except for the upper arms. The upper arms are orange and the tips of the digits are bright red. The lower jaw is blackish. Males have an unpigmented vocal sac and more white spines on the gular skin.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis'' lives in submontane and montane forests at elevations generally higher than

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 ...

. It is associated with mountain streams, its probable breeding habitat. The types were found in vegetation just above the ground, on rocks, and in a small pool of water close to a stream; the last micro-habitat included an amplexant pair. While ''Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis'' is locally abundant within suitable habitat, it is negatively affected by the loss of its forest habitat resulting from agriculture, logging, fire, and human settlements. It has been recorded in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and in the Uluguru North, Nguru South, and

Kanga Forest Reserve Kanga Forest Reserve is a forest reserve in the Nguru Mountains The Nguru Mountains are a mountain range in Morogoro Region, Tanzania, Africa. The Nguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The mountains are predominantly covered w ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2244074 uzungwensis Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Tanzania Endemic fauna of Tanzania Amphibians described in 1983 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot