Tanzaniaherps.org
The herpetofauna of Mountains of Tanzania
Leptopelis vermiculatus , Boulenger, 1909
IUCN: VULNERABLE (VU)
type
Holotype: BM, Natural History Museum, London, UK.type locality
Amani, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzaniarecorded localities
Mahenge, Sali, Nguru South, Kanga, Nguru South , Nguu, Kilindi, Nguu North, Southern Highlands, Udzungwa, Udzungwa National Park, Udzungwa scarp, Ukaguru, Ikwamba, Uluguru,
Habitat and Ecology
It inhabits submontane and montane forest, and requires mature, undisturbed, closed-canopy forest. Its natural history is unknown, but it presumably breeds in water, and males call near streams or pools. The eggs are probably laid in mud nests on land, not far from water (either streams or temporary pools). Metamorphosing larvae have been observed emerging from Amani pond in the East Usambaras.
Major Threats
Conservation measures
It occurs in the Amani Nature Reserve and the Udzungwa National Park.
Description and Diagnosis
A large Leptopelis (SVL 39-85 mm) with two color phases. Juveniles and some adult males are bright green with black vermiculations. Adult females and some adult males are gray-brown with a darker triangle pointing forward on the dorsum and a dark area below the eye extending to the tympanum. In both phases bright white patches appear on the heels and elbows, and the sides are marbled black and white. Pectoral glands are present in males.
Call and Calling bahaviour
Schiøtz (1999) describes the call as “a single clack with a peculiar tonal quality.”
mp3 of the call
sonagram of the call
Similar species
L. vermiculatus adults in the gray-brown phase may easily be confused with adult L. flavomaculatus which have a nearly identical adult color phase. The toe webbing on L. vermiculatus is extensive, but never reaches the disks of the first three digits as it does in L. flavomaculatus.
Data providers
Selected Bibliography
Boulenger, G.A. 1909. Descriptions of three new frogs discovered by Dr. P. Krefft in Usambara, German East Africa. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 8, 4: 496-497.
Frost, D.R. 2010. Amphibian Species of the World: an online reference. Version 5.4 (8 April, 2010). American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/
Harper, E.B., G.J. Measey, D.A. Patrick, M. Menegon and J.R. Vonesh. 2010. Field Guide to the Amphibians of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Tanzania and Kenya. Camerapix Publishers International, Nairobi, Kenya.
Howell, K., J. Poynton, A. Schiøtz and M. Menegon. 2004. Leptopelis vermiculatus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.3. . Downloaded on 08 September 2010.
Schiøtz, A. 1999. Treefrogs of Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.