The tadpole of Ptychadena schillukorum (Werner, 1908 “1907”) (Amphibia: Anura: Ptychadenidae)

Abstract

The Ptychadenidae Dubois, 1987 are a frog family endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar (Frost 2008). Within the genus Ptychadena Boulenger, 1917 49 species are currently recognized as valid (Frost 2008), most of them breeding in temporary savanna ponds (Rödel 2000; Channing 2001; Channing & Howell 2006). In the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (PBR) in northern Benin this genus is extraordinary diverse. Here we recorded seven sympatric and partly syntopic Ptychadena species (Nago et al. 2006). The tadpoles of six West African species, P. bibroni (Hallowell, 1845), P. pumilio (Boulenger, 1920), P. oxyrhynchus (Smith, 1849), P. tellinii (Peracca, 1904), P. tournieri (Guibé & Lamotte, 1955) and P. trinodis (Boettger, 1881) have already been described (Lamotte & Zuber-Vogeli 1953; Guibé & Lamotte 1958; Lamotte et al. 1958, 1959; Lamotte & Perret 1961; Perret 1966; Rödel 2000; Rödel & Spieler 2000). Hence, P. schillukorum (Werner, 1908 “1907”) is the only West African savanna Ptychadena with an unknown tadpole. P. schillukorum ranges from Senegal, east to south-western Ethiopia and southern Somalia, south to Malawi, central Mozambique, south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and western Angola (Channing 2001; Nago et al. 2006). Recently it was reported from Egypt (Baha el Din 2006). It is hence either a very widespread savanna species or a member of a complex of cryptic species (see Nago et al. 2006 and Frost 2008 for synonyms of P. schillukorum). In West Africa it only occurs in drier savannas. In PBR these frogs breed in shallow savanna ponds, often in syntopy with Phrynobatrachus francisci Boulenger, 1912 and Phrynobatrachus natalensis (Smith, 1849) (Nago et al. 2006). The PBR is located in the Soudanian savanna zone in northern Benin (N 10°30-11°30, E 0°50-2°00). The climate is characterized by a short rainy season from late May or even June/July to early October. The mean annual precipitation is 1000 mm and the mean annual temperature is 27°C. For more details see Nago et al. (2006).