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| Breviceps batrachophiliorum Du Preez, Netherlands & Minter, 2025 |
ABSTRACT
Breviceps, an African genus of fossorial frogs, comprises 20 species most of which occur in South Africa. In this study we describe a new species that differs morphologically from its closest congener Breviceps verrucosus, in the position of the mouth and relative size of the inner and outer metatarsal tubercles. Its taxonomic status as a separate species is placed beyond doubt by very significant differences in the structure of the advertisement call and substantial genetic divergence (7.5% uncorrected p-distance) in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. This study demonstrates the value of an integrative approach in taxonomy and that, when assessing the reliability of distribution data, it is better to err on the side of caution.
KEYWORDS: Bioacoustics, Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov., conservation, phylogenetics, morphology, citizen science
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| Holotype male Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov. (SAIAB 141902) from Boston, KwaZulu-Natal Province: a – dorsolateral view; b – anterior view; c – ventral view; d – posterior view, showing heel to heel and vertebral lines; e – right hand; f – left foot. |
Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov. Du Preez, Netherlands and Minter
L.H. du Preez, E.C. Netherlands and L.R. Minter. 2025. A New Rain Frog (Anura: Brevicipitidae; Breviceps) from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa. African Journal of Herpetology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2025.2478896 [19 May 2025]