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| Nothophryne ribauensis & N. baylissi
Conradie, Bittencourt-Silva, Farooq, Loader, Menegon & Tolley, 2018
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ABSTRACT
Nothophryne Poynton, 1963 is a monotypic genus of frog, with the nominal species N. broadleyi found only on Mount Mulanje, in southern Malawi. Recent surveys in northern Mozambique, however, have uncovered at least four new species associated with four inselbergs (Mount Inago, Mount Namuli, Mount Ribáuè and Taratibu Hills). Previous phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial genes suggest that each mountain isolate has an endemic species of Nothophryne. Herein we provide a rediagnosis of the genus and comparative diagnoses of four new species based on new material.
KEYWORDS: Africa, amphibian, inselbergs, Pyxicephalidae, species, taxonomy
Nothophryne broadleyi Poynton, 1963
Mongrel Frog; Broadley’s Mountain Frog
Nothophryne baylissi sp. nov.
Namuli Mongrel Frog; Namuli Mountain Frog
Etymology—We name this species in honour of Dr Julian Bayliss who was the first to document this unique species of frog from the slopes of Mount Namuli, during the Kew Gardens-Darwin Initiative expedition to these inselbergs (Timberlake et al. 2009).
Distribution— Currently only known from Mount Namuli in central Mozambique.
Nothophryne inagoensis sp. nov.
Inago Mogrel Frog; Inago Mountain Frog
Etymology—The new species is named after Mount Inago, where this species is endemic.
Distribution—Currently only known from Mount Inago in central Mozambique.
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| Adult Nothophryne ribauensis sp. nov. from Mount Ribáuè. |
Nothophryne ribauensis sp. nov.
Ribáuè Mongrel Frog; Ribáuè Mountain Frog
Etymology—The new species is named after Mount Ribáuè, from which it is currently only known from both Mount Ribáuè and Mount M’pàluwé section of the massif.
Distribution—Currently only known from Mount Ribáuè in central Mozambique.
Nothophryne unilurio sp. nov.
Quirimbas Mongrel Frog; Quirimbas Mountain Frog
Etymology—Named after Lúrio University, Pemba, Mozambique where Harith Farooq is Director of the Natural Sciences Faculty. The composition comprise out of uni for University and lurio for Lúrio
Distribution— Currently only known from low lying inselbergs in north eastern Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique. The type locality is situated ..., in the Quirimbas National Park.
Werner Conradie, Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva, Harith M. Farooq, Simon P. Loader, Michele Menegon and Krystal A. Tolley. 2018. New Species of Mongrel Frogs (Pyxicephalidae: Nothophryne) for northern Mozambique Inselbergs. African Journal of Herpetology. DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2017.1376714
CONRADIE, W., G.B. BITTENCOURT-SILVA, H.M. ENGELBRECHT, S.P. LOADER, M. MENEGON, C. NANVONAMUQUITXO, M. SCOTT, & K.A. TOLLEY. 2016. Exploration into the hidden world of Mozambique’s sky island forests: new discoveries of reptiles and amphibians. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 92(2): 163–180. DOI: 10.3897/zse.92.9948
