''Sclerophrys danielae'' is a species of

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

in the family

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy * Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) * Category (Kant) * C ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the southwest coast of

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

(Côte d'Ivoire) and only known from the vicinity of Monogaga, its type locality between

Sassandra Sassandra is a town in southern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of and the seat of Sassandra Department. It is also a commune and the seat of Gbôklé Region in Bas-Sassandra District. Sassandra lies on the Gulf of Guinea at the mouth of th ...

and San Pedro. Last seen in around 1977, ''Sclerophrys danielae'' is one of the frogs declared as "Lost" in 2010. Common name Ivory Coast toad has been coined for it.

Etymology

This species was discovered by Dr Danièle Murith, who was a parasitologist working for the Swiss Center of Research in Ivory Coast. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''danielae'' was given in her honor.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The overall appearance is moderately slender. The tympanum is distinct. The

parotoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of some frogs (especially toads), and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known ...

s are small but distinct. The toes are moderately webbed. The dorsal pattern consists of symmetrically arranged dark spots that can merge into larger blotches. These get almost hidden when the background color is earth-brown but are conspicuous against yellowish brown background; it appears that individuals can adjust their coloration to external conditions.

Habitat and conservation

''Sclerophrys danielae'' has been collected from two localities. In Monogaga, it was found in the coastal zone, amidst ''

Panicum repens ''Panicum repens'' is a species of grass known by many common names, including torpedo grass, creeping panic, panic rampant, couch panicum, wainaku grass, quack grass, dog-tooth grass, and bullet grass. Its exact native range is obscure. Sources ...

'' grass and low in and under '' Dalbergia ecastaphyllum'' bushes. In the inland locality near Sassandra, it was found in a flooded coconut plantation. Despite surveys in the area, this species has not been observed, suggesting that it is very rare. Its range overlaps with the Monogaga Classified Forest, which is managed partly as a protected area, partly as an agricultural area where farmers are allowed to grow crops. Threats to this species are unknown.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2212365 danielae Endemic fauna of Ivory Coast Amphibians of West Africa Amphibians described in 1977 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot