''Phrynobatrachus minutus'' 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 ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

and occurs in the central and southern parts of the country on both sides of the

Rift Valley A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear dep ...

; its range may extend south to Kenya, perhaps further. Some earlier records from Ethiopia represent '' Phrynobatrachus inexpectatus'', described as a new species in 2001. The specific name ''minutus'' refers to the small size of this frog. Common names tiny river frog and Ethiopian dwarf puddle frog have been coined for it.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The tympanum is present but usually hidden, although it may sometimes just visible through the skin. The toes have feeble webbing and may have weakly developed discs. Dorsal skin is smooth or may have warts that can even be prominent, especially on the upper flanks, posterior back, and hind limbs. Alcohol-preserved specimens are dorsally pale to dark grey-brown or yellow-brown. In life, adult males have bright yellow throat.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus minutus'' occurs at the swampy margins of aquatic habitats (lakes, rivers, streams, and temporary pools) in moist grassland and forest clearings 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 ...

, but perhaps as low as . Breeding takes place in water. It is a quite common species where suitable habitat is present. Habitat degradation, caused in particular 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 ...

, human settlement, and

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

, is a threat to it. It is present in the

Bale Mountains National Park Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is a national park in Ethiopia. The park encompasses an area of approximately in the Bale Mountains and Sanetti Plateau of the Ethiopian Highlands. The park's Afromontane habitats have one of the highest incid ...

, and probably in other protected areas as well.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2243843 minutus Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Ethiopia Endemic fauna of Ethiopia Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Amphibians described in 1895 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot