Arthroleptis nikeae

Arthroleptis nikeae, also known as Nike's squeaker, is a species of frogs in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to the Mafwemiro Reserve in the Rubeho Mountains of Tanzania.[1][2][3] It was named after conservationist Nike Doggart, who first found it.[3][4] With a maximum snout–vent length of 57 mm (2.2 in), it is among the largest Arthroleptis species.[3][5]

Arthroleptis nikeae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Arthroleptis
Species:
A. nikeae
Binomial name
Arthroleptis nikeae
Poynton, 2003

Description

Females grow to a snout–vent length 57 mm (2.2 in).[3] The dorsum is brown with a dark inter-orbital bar and two dark chevrons. The limbs have dark crossbars. The fingers and the toes have expanded discs. The tympanum is distinct but small, about half of the eye diameter.[3][6]

Habitat and conservation

Arthroleptis nikeae can be found in leaf litter in previously degraded montane forest at elevations of 1,800–2,000 m (5,900–6,600 ft) above sea level. While it occurs in a forest reserve, the area is not well protected and forest loss is occurring there. The species has not been found in other nearby forests, and it appears that its maximum extent of occurrence is no more than 3.3 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi).[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Artholeptis nikeae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T54377A16934273. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Arthroleptis nikeae Poynton, 2003". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. "Arthroleptis nikeae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. Doggart, Nike; Perkin, Andrew; Kiure, Jacob; Fjeldsa, Jon; Poynton, John & Burgess, Neil (2006). "Changing places: how the results of new field work in the Rubeho Mountains influence conservation priorities in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania". African Journal of Ecology. 44 (2): 134–144. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00572.x.
  5. Blackburn, D. (2008). "Biogeography and evolution of body size and life history of African frogs: Phylogeny of squeakers (Arthroleptis) and long-fingered frogs (Cardioglossa) estimated from mitochondrial data". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49 (3): 806–826. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.08.015. PMID 18804169.
  6. Channing, Allan & Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2019). Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-77584-512-6.
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