Amnirana albolabris

Amnirana albolabris (west) Jongsma et al. (2018)

(Fig. 8B)

COLLECTION MATERIAL. — Burkina Faso • 1 juvenile (SVL 16.1 mm); Houet province, in the forest of small-seminary at Nasso; 11.20953°N, – 4.43951°W; 340 m a.s.l.; 4.IV.1968; M. Lamotte leg.; MNHNRA-1999.7575.

DESCRIPTION. — 1 specimen examined. Rather slender body with a triangular, depressed head and slightly rounded snout (Fig. 8B).

Dorsal skin finely granular under the magnifying glass; two distinct dorsolateral folds present, from the posterior border of the eye to the sacrum. Dorsal colour dark brown, with few darker brown spots.

REMARKS. — The genus Amnirana has been recently revised by Jongsma et al. (2018). Based on molecular data this study restricts the name Amnirana albolabris (Hallowell, 1856) to Central African populations, the populations from West Africa are clearly distinct and they are provisionally named Amnirana albolabris (west) (Jongsma et al. 2018). The type locality given for A. albolabris is ‘‘West Africa’’ by Hallowell (1856). However, Jongsma et al. (2018) searched the route of the collector Du Chaillu of the syntypes, and identified the area “north of the Ogooué River in Gabon ” as the type locality. Therefore, following Jongsma et al. (2018), we use for the West African populations the name A. albolabris (west) here. A formal description of this taxon is prepared by Rödel and co-workers.

HABITAT. — Amnirana albolabris (west) was collected in a gallery forest. We considered that place of collection could be Kou Forest which we visited in August 2018, what would be the northernmost site of its range. In other parts of its range the species inhabits pristine to heavily degraded rainforests and gallery forests in the savannah zones (Rödel & Bangoura 2004; Kpan et al. 2014; Onadeko 2016).