''Cardioglossa pulchra'' is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Arthroleptidae The Arthroleptidae are a family (biology), family of frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. This group includes African treefrogs in the genus ''Leptopelis'' along with the terrestrial breeding squeakers ''Arthroleptis'', and several genera restrict ...

. It is found in the Cameroon Range in western

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

(excluding Mount Cameroon) and in the

Obudu Plateau --> Obudu Plateau is a plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River State, in the southeast of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross River State. The plateau extends toward ...

in adjacent eastern

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. Common name black long-fingered frog has been coined for it.

Description

Males measure and females in snout–vent length. Males have extremely long third fingers and spines in the fingers and in the groin; females lack these characteristics (though no female specimens of this particular species were inspected). Dorsal markings, typical for the genus ''Cardioglossa'', are fused to a broad black stripe that extends over the entire dorsum. The white line running under the tympanum is absent. The

tadpole A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...

s have a depressed, elliptical body and a long tail with broadly rounded tip. The largest specimen (

Gosner stage Gosner stage is a generalized system of describing stages of embryonal and larval development in anurans (frogs and toads). The Gosner system includes 46 numbered stages, from fertilized embryo (stage 1) to the completion of metamorphosis (stage ...

29) measures in total length, most of which is tail: body length is only .

Habitat and conservation

''Cardioglossa pulchra'' occurs in submontane and montane forests along fast-flowing streams; at higher elevations it occurs also along forest edges. It tolerates some deforestation. Its altitudinal range is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. Breeding takes place in streams. Tadpoles have been found in a stream surrounded by farm bush vegetation, without any trees growing on the riverbanks. The tadpoles were found near the riverbank, hiding in the sandy mud or between stones. ''Cardioglossa pulchra'' can be common during the breeding season. The species is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

caused by agricultural encroachment (including plantations of tree crops), expanding human settlements, and extraction of wood for firewood and building materials. It occurs in the Bafut-Ngemba Forest Reserve in Cameroon and in the

Cross River National Park The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, mo ...

in Nigeria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2240219 pulchra Frogs of Africa Amphibians of West Africa Amphibians of Cameroon Fauna of Nigeria Amphibians described in 1963 Taxa named by Arne Schiøtz Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Fauna of the Cameroonian Highlands forests