''Phrynobatrachus africanus'' (common name: African swamp 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

Phrynobatrachidae ''Phrynobatrachus'' is a genus of Sub-Saharan frogs that form the monogeneric family Phrynobatrachidae. Their common name is puddle frogs, dwarf puddle frogs, African puddle frogs, or African river frogs. The common name, puddle frog, refers to ...

. It is found in

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 ...

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...

(including

Bioko Bioko (; ; ; historically known as Fernando Pó, ) is an island of Equatorial Guinea. It is located south of the coast of Cameroon, and northwest of the northernmost part of mainland Equatorial Guinea. Malabo, on the north coast of the is ...

), southwestern

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...

, western

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

, and north-central

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

. Its range might extend into

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, ...

. 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, however, considers the limits of its range unknown and does not include the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the range.

Description

Adults grow to about in snout–vent length. The overall appearance is moderately slender. The tympanum is distinct. The finger and toe tips bear small discs. The fingers have no webbing whereas the toes are moderately webbed. The dorsum is brown or greyish. There is dark brown blotching which becomes apparent under magnification. A dark triangular spot may be present between the eyes. Glandular folds have slightly darker edges. There are several chocolate colored spots or vertical bars on the upper jaws; males have brown lower lips with a series of small white spots. The hind limbs have bark brown (approaching a black) barring. The anal region is blackish, edged with whitish above. The ventral side is white, with brown spotting in the breast. Throat is dark grey in males but spotted with brown in females.

Habitat and conservation

''Phrynobatrachus africanus'' occurs in lowland swampy forests. It can survive in somewhat degraded forests, but not in open habitats outside forest. Males

call Call or Calls may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Call (poker), a bet matching an opponent's * Call, in the game of contract bridge, a bid, pass, double, or redouble in the bidding stage Music and dance * Call (band), from L ...

from cavities and holes near streams. Breeding takes place in pools with standing water along streams. It is a very common species. It can be negatively affected by loss of its forest habitat caused by logging, agricultural encroachment, and human settlements. It occurs in several protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1310289 africanus Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Cameroon Amphibians of the Central African Republic Amphibians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Amphibians of Equatorial Guinea Amphibians of Gabon Amphibians of the Republic of the Congo Amphibians described in 1858 Taxa named by Edward Hallowell (herpetologist)