Cardioglossa cyaneospila

Cardioglossa cyaneospila is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to the Albertine Rift area in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Uganda, Rwanda, and southwestern Burundi.[2][3] It was described in 1950 by Raymond Laurent based on specimens collected in 1949.[3] No new records were published until 2011.[4][5] Recent research has uncovered both old unpublished records and several new records,[3] and the conservation status was changed from "data deficient" to "near threatened" in 2016.[1] Common names Bururi long-fingered frog[3] and Mukuzira long-fingered frog have been coined for this species.[2]

Cardioglossa cyaneospila
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Cardioglossa
Species:
C. cyaneospila
Binomial name
Cardioglossa cyaneospila
Laurent, 1950
Synonyms[2]

Cardioglossa nigromaculata cyaneospila Laurent, 1950

Description

Two males from Bururi measure about 31 mm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length.[6] The species is named for its unusual blueish gray color.[3] It has dark spots in its dorsum, a dark mask surrounding the eye and tympanum, and an infratympanic line typical for the genus Cardioglossa.[6] Males have extremely long third fingers.[7]

Habitat and conservation

Cardioglossa cyaneospila occurs in montane forests[1] at elevations of 1,470–2,300 m (4,820–7,550 ft) above sea level, with one imprecise record from about 1,100–1,300 m (3,600–4,300 ft).[3] Specimens have been found active along trails during the day as well as active on the ground just before dusk, calling among low-lying vegetation some 1 metre above a stream.[3]

Montane forests in the range of this species are generally highly threatened by agricultural encroachment and logging.[1] However, it occurs in several protected areas, including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, Kahuzi-Biéga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bururi Nature Reserve in Burundi, and Gishwati Forest in Rwanda.[1][3] It is also likely to occur in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Cardioglossa cyaneospila". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T54398A18364387. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T54398A18364387.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Cardioglossa cyaneospila Laurent, 1950". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. Blackburn, David C.; Boix, C.; Greenbaum, E.; Fabrezi, M.; Meirte, D.; Plumptre, A. J. & Stanley, E. L. (2016). "The distribution of the Bururi Long-fingered Frog (Cardioglossa cyaneospila, family Arthroleptidae), a poorly known Albertine Rift endemic". Zootaxa. 4170 (2): 355–364. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4170.2.8. PMID 27701267.
  4. Dell'Amore, Christine (3 April 2012). ""Lost" Long-Fingered Frog Found in Africa". National Geographic. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  5. "Elusive long-fingered frog found after 62 years". PhysOrg.com. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  6. Hirschfeld, Mareike; Blackburn, David C.; Burger, Marius; Greenbaum, Eli; Zassi-Boulou, Ange-Ghislain & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2015). "Two new species of long-fingered frogs of the genus Cardioglossa (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from Central African rainforests". African Journal of Herpetology. 64 (2): 81–102. doi:10.1080/21564574.2015.1052102. S2CID 86429301.
  7. Blackburn, David C. (2009). "Diversity and evolution of male secondary sexual characters in African squeakers and long-fingered frogs". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 96 (3): 553–573. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01138.x.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.