''Phrynobatrachus taiensis'' 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 ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and only known from its type locality, Taï Forest in the

Taï National Park Taï National Park () is a national park in Côte d'Ivoire that contains one of the last areas of primary rainforest in West Africa. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its flora and fauna. Five mammal specie ...

. There are concerns about taxonomic validity of this species. Common name Tai river frog has been coined for it.

Description

The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

, an adult male, measures 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 ...

; females are unknown but presumably larger. The tympanum is indistinct. The eyelid has a prominent tubercle. The finger and toe tips are barely widened and have no discs. The fingers are unwebbed and the toes have only rudimentary webbing. The dorsum is warty and has a pair of oval scapular glands. Dorsal colouration is brown with (male holotype) or without marbling (juvenile paratype). The holotype has a vertebral line running the whole length of the body. The limbs have slightly darker brown bars. The ventrum bears dark spots that form curvilinear, transverse rows on the throat. The belly is immaculate but small spots are scattered on the chest and on its edges.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus taiensis'' is presumably a lowland rainforest species that, like its relatives, breeds in water. It has not been collected after the type series was collected in 1975, despite extensive amphibian surveys in later years—this species must either be extremely rare or not valid. If it is a forest-dependent species, then it is probably negatively affected by the loss of forest habitat caused by agricultural development, logging, and human settlements. The type locality is within the Taï National Park.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2245038 taiensis Frogs of Africa Amphibians of West Africa Endemic fauna of Ivory Coast Amphibians described in 1988 Taxa named by Jean-Luc Perret Taxonomy articles created by Polbot