The identity of the South African toad Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia, Anura).

Annemarie Ohler,Alain Dubois

doi:10.7717/peerj.1553

Abstract

The toad species Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 was erected for a single specimen from South Africa which has never been properly studied and allocated to a known species. A morphometrical and morphological analysis of this specimen and its comparison with 75 toad specimens referred to five South African toad species allowed to allocate this specimen to the species currently known as Amietophrynus rangeri. In consequence, the nomen Sclerophrys must replace Amietophrynus as the valid nomen of the genus, and capensis as the valid nomen of the species. This work stresses the usefulness of natural history collections for solving taxonomic and nomenclatural problems.

Highlights

IntroductionEarly nomina (scientific names) often have a complex story. Many original type specimens have been lost and the status of the nomina cannot be assessed
In zootaxonomy, early nomina often have a complex story
Type specimens are present but have never received the necessary attention and been studied properly. This is the case of the amphibian nomen Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838, a toad from Cape of Good Hope described by Tschudi (1838) as a member of his family Bombinatores

Summary

Introduction

Early nomina (scientific names) often have a complex story. Many original type specimens have been lost and the status of the nomina cannot be assessed. Type specimens are present but have never received the necessary attention and been studied properly This is the case of the amphibian nomen Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838, a toad from Cape of Good Hope described by Tschudi (1838) as a member of his family Bombinatores. This nomen is based on a single specimen (MNHN RA 0.742), whose holotype (holophoront) by original monotypy (monophory) has since been kept in the collections of the Paris Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) where it has permanently been available for study by taxonomists. On 1 December 1820, Delalande returned back to France where he arrived at the end of the year (Delalande, 1822; Barnard, 1956; Varley, 1956)

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