The palm forest tree frog (''Leptopelis palmatus'') is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family Arthroleptidae which 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 else ...

Príncipe Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census;

island in São Tomé and Príncipe. Red tree frog '' Leptopelis rufus'' from the African mainland was for a long time included in this species, but is now considered a distinct species.

Description

The palm forest tree frog is a large species: females measure in snout–vent length. The tympanum is large and the feet are fully webbed. The colouring varies, but the dorsum is typically dark green to black, sometimes with many light spots giving the frog a marbled appearance. The ventrum is dark and has a granular surface. Compared to the red tree frog, this species has larger

choanae The choanae (singular choana), posterior nasal apertures or internal nostrils are two openings found at the back of the nasal passage between the nasal cavity and the throat in tetrapods, including humans and other mammals (as well as crocodilia ...

(the apertures where the nasal passages join the throat), larger tympani and differences in skin texture.

Habitat and conservation

The natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s of palm forest tree frog are wet forests along the edges of creeks and streams to above sea level, possibly to 1000 m. It also occurs in forest remnants and possibly in towns. It is believed that eggs are buried close to water; when they hatch, the

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s move into pools or streams where they complete their development. It is a reasonably common species throughout the island, although

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 ...

through development is a potential future threat. This frog is not present in any protected areas, and the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

has assessed its conservation status as being "endangered", and considers that the population requires careful monitoring.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2241108 palmatus Endemic vertebrates of São Tomé and Príncipe Endemic fauna of Príncipe Amphibians described in 1868 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Frogs of Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot