''Leptopelis argenteus'', also known as the silvery tree frog or triad tree frog, 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 coastal

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

and south to northern

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

, southern

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

, and eastern highlands of

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

Taxonomy

This species was described by

Georg Johann Pfeffer Georg Johann Pfeffer (1854–1931) was a German zoologist, primarily a malacologist, a scientist who studies mollusks. Pfeffer was born in Berlin. In 1887 he became curator of the , which was established in 1843 and destroyed during World War II. ...

in 1893 based on a specimen collected south of

Bagamoyo Bagamoyo (''Mji wa Bagamoyo'', in Swahili) is a historic coastal town and capital of Bagamoyo District in the Pwani Region of Tanzania. Much of the settlement was founded at the end of the 18th century, though it is an extension of a much old ...

, Tanzania. Current accounts differ in its delimitation and distribution; the synonyms and distribution in this article follow the Amphibian Species of the World (ASW). However, the

IUCN SSC The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

Amphibian Specialist Group (2016) only reports it from Tanzania, possibly extending into Mozambique. The AmphibiaWeb gives a distribution similar to that in ASW, but recognizes ''

Leptopelis broadleyi ''Leptopelis broadleyi'' (Broadley's forest tree frog) is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae of uncertain status. The Amphibian Species of the World, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, and the ...

'' as a valid species. Furthermore, '' Leptopelis concolor'' is perhaps

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of ''Leptopelis argenteus''.

Description

Depending on source, males measure in snout–vent length (SVL), or males and females can be as large as SVL, respectively. It resembles '' Leptopelis concolor'' morphologically but differs has two dark dorsolateral stripes and a more diffuse canthal and lateral line. Webbing in the feet is reduced. There is usually a dark triangle between the eyes.

Habitat and conservation

According to the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, this species inhabits

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

woodland with many trees and bushes. It can survive in altered habitats, provided that good vegetation cover remains. Males call high up in bushes and grasses, also quite far from water. The eggs are laid in a nest buried in mud near water. ''Leptopelis argenteus'' is a common and adaptable species that is not facing any significant threats. It is sometimes present in the international pet trade. It occurs in many protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1943959

argenteus The ''argenteus'' ( ''argentei'', 'of silver') was a silver coin produced by the Roman Empire from the time of Diocletian's coinage reform in AD 294 to ca. AD 310. It was of similar weight and fineness to the denarius of the time of Nero. The coi ...

Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Kenya Amphibians of Malawi Amphibians of Mozambique Amphibians of Tanzania Amphibians of Zimbabwe Amphibians described in 1893 Taxa named by Georg Johann Pfeffer Taxonomy articles created by Polbot