Leptopelis vermiculatus (Boulenger, 1909)
The specific name is from Latin vermiculatus meaning “inlaid in wavy lines,” which is the past participle of vermiculor meaning “to be full of worms or worm-eaten.”
This is a large Leptopelis with two color phases. Juveniles and some adult males are bright green with black vermiculations. Adult females and some adult males are gray-brown with a darker triangle pointing forward on the dorsum and a dark area below the eye extending to the tympanum. In both phases bright white patches appear on the heels and elbows, and the sides are marbled black and white. Pectoral glands are present in males (Text from Harper et al., 2010).
L. vermiculatus adults in the gray-brown phase may easily be confused with adult L. flavomaculatus, which have a nearly identical adult color phase. The toe webbing on L. vermiculatus is extensive, but never reaches the disks of the first three digits as it does in L. flavomaculatus (Text from Harper et al., 2010).
The following is the original description by Boulenger (1909) by material collected in Amani, Tanzania:
Vomerine teeth in two small groups on the level with the posterior border of the choanae. Head broader than long, strongly depressed; snout rounded, as long as the eye; interorbital space broader than the upper eyelid; tympanum very distinct, two-thirds the diameter of the eye. Fingers moderate, with a mere rudiment of web; toes half-webbed; disks well developed; subarticular tubercles moderate; inner metatarsal tubercle rather small, oval, febbly prominent. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches just in front of the eye. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches just in front of the eye. Skin smooth above, granular beneath. Green above, vermiculated with black; upper lip with black and white spots; flanks, upper arm, and sides of thigh black with large white marbling; fingers and toes barred black and white; lower parts white, belly with a few brown spots.
Males measure 39 – 50 mm and females 61 – 85 mm in snout-vent length (Harper et al., 2010). The holotype measures 34 mm (Boulenger, 1909).
This species is found only in undisturbed submontane and montane forest from 900 – 1800 m (Harper et al., 2010).
Metamorphosing larvae have been observed emerging from Amani pond in the East Usambaras (Text from Harper et al., 2010).
They are assumed to lay eggs in mud nests on land near water. Males call near streams and pools (Text from Harper et al., 2010).