Weale's running frog

Weale's running frog (Semnodactylus wealii),[1][2][3] also known as Weale's frog, rattling frog, and many other commons names,[2] is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae.[1][2][3] It is monotypic within the genus Semnodactylus.[4] It is found in southern and eastern South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini.[1][2][3]

Weale's running frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hyperoliidae
Genus: Semnodactylus
Hoffman, 1939
Species:
S. wealii
Binomial name
Semnodactylus wealii
(Boulenger, 1882)
Synonyms[2]
  • Cassina wealii Boulenger, 1882
  • Cassina wealii quinquevittata Hewitt, 1927
  • Semnodactylus thabanchuensis Hoffman, 1939
  • Kassina weali fitzsimonsi Hoffman, 1942

Etymology

The specific name wealii honours James Philip Mansel Weale, an English amateur entomologist who farmed in Bedford, Eastern Cape, and sent specimens to England.[5]

Description

Semnodactylus wealii grow to 44 mm (1.7 in) in snout–vent length. The limbs are thin and long. The dorsum is yellowish-brownto grey and has three dark longitudinal bands, each with a pale center. The flanks have a dark stripe or a series of blotches. The concealed parts of the limbs are yellow to orange. The throat in breeding males is black.[3]

The male advertisement call is a low-pitched creak, resembling the sound of a cork being removed from a bottle.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Weale's running frog is a common frog mostly occurring in grassland habitats at elevations below 1,700 m (5,600 ft); in Western Cape it is also found in fynbos heath. It breeds in all sort of ponds (both permanent and temporary, and natural and artificial) that have emergent vegetation. It is present in many protected areas, tolerates disturbance, and is not facing any major threats.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Semnodactylus wealii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T56297A3037487. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56297A3037487.en. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2022). "Semnodactylus wealii (Boulenger, 1882)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  3. Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-77584-512-6.
  4. Frost, Darrel R. (2022). "Semnodactylus Hoffman, 1939". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  5. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
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