A new extraordinary Phrynobatrachus (Amphibia, Anura, Phrynobatrachidae) from West Africa

The anuran fauna of a Volunteer Nature Reserve: the Tanoé-Ehy Swamp Forests, south-eastern Ivory Coast, West Africa

“…The discovery and descriptions of several new species from eastern Ivory Coast and western Ghana, further underline the faunistic uniqueness of this region (Assemian et al 2006, Rödel et al 2009a, 2009b, Rödel et al 2012, Kouamé et al 2014a.…”

The taxonomic status of two West African Leptopelis species: L. macrotis Schiøtz, 1967 and L. spiritusnoctis Rödel, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Arthroleptidae)

“…The genetic distances between L. aubryi and L. spiritusnoctis in the studied 16S gene fragment (5.74-6.56%) and L. millsoni and L. macrotis (11.07-11.30%), respectively, by far exceed the values which are commonly assumed to indicate distinct species (3-5% in 16S; see Vieites et al 2009 for general statement and e.g. Blackburn et al 2008, Zimkus 2009, Rödel et al 2012a, Zimkus and Gvodzík 2013 for values between distinct western African anuran species). Furthermore, our detailed call analyses revealed distinct differences between these taxa in almost all examined call parameters, in particular in parameters with low intraspecific variability (i.e.…”

“…Thus, we do not know which species occurs in Nigeria and we cannot even exclude that southern Nigeria harbors taxa which are morphologically similar, but distinct on the basis of genetics and acoustics from those adjacent to the east and west (compare e.g. Rödel et al 2012b (Ahl 1929, Perret 1962. With respect to taxonomic stability we suggest to continue using the name L. macrotis and L. millsoni as defined by Schiøtz (1967Schiøtz ( , 1999 …”

Life in the spray zone – overlooked diversity in West African torrent-frogs (Anura, Odontobatrachidae, Odontobatrachus)

“…The application of qualitative characters for species differentiation was difficult and previously used diagnostic characters to distinguish Odontobatrachus populations (see Rödel et al 2004a), which are appropriate and important in non-related genera, like shape arrangement of dorsal glandular ridges in Ptychadena (Guibé and Lamotte 1957;Perret 1979;Rödel 2000) or ventral colouration in Phrynobatrachus (Rödel et al 2012b;Zimkus and Gvoždík 2013), are not applicable in this family. Specimens belonging to one species from a single locality for example, already show high character variability (see e.g.…”