''Scotobleps'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

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 ...

genus 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 ...

; its sole species is ''Scotobleps gabonicus'', sometimes known as the Gaboon forest frog or Gabon forest frog. It is found in 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, ...

, western and southwestern

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 ...

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 ...

, western

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 ...

, 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 western

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 could extend into the Cabinda Enclave of

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

Description

Males grow to and females to in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

. The

syntype In biological nomenclature, a syntype is any one of two or more biological types that is listed in a description of a taxon where no holotype was designated. Precise definitions of this and related terms for types have been established as part o ...

(s) measured in snout–vent length. The head is rather large, as long as broad. The snout is obtusely pointed with a feeble

canthus rostralis In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or ''canthus rostralis''Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the ...

. The eyes are large. The fingers and toes are moderately elongated, with slightly swollen tips and very strong subarticular tubercles. The toes are half-webbed. Skin is smooth or with small flat warts on the back. The dorsum is olive-brown with small, blackish spots. There is a dark cross-band between the eyes and the upper lip has blackish vertical bars; the one below the anterior third of the eye is extending onto the lower lip. Limbs have dark cross-bars. The venter is white.

Habitat and conservation

''Scotobleps gabonicus'' is a common species at low altitudes, living in lowland rainforests, including secondary forests. Breeding takes place in flowing water, preferably in wide, shallow streams with sandy banks but also in torrents. Loss of its forest habitat is causing population declines.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2181175 Arthroleptidae Monotypic amphibian genera Frogs of Africa Amphibians of Cameroon Amphibians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Amphibians of Equatorial Guinea Amphibians of Gabon Fauna of Nigeria Amphibians of the Republic of the Congo Amphibians of West Africa Amphibians described in 1900 Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Taxonomy articles created by Polbot