Afrixalus stuhlmanni (Pfeffer, 1893)  

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Advertisement Call:

The call is a series of clicks (Text from Harper et al., 2010).

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorZimkus, Breda, Zimkus, Breda, African Amphibians Lifedesk
Sourcehttp://africanamphibians.lifedesks.org/pages/25580

Reproduction:

Eggs are laid on blades of grass (Text from Harper et al., 2010).

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorZimkus, Breda, Zimkus, Breda, African Amphibians Lifedesk
Sourcehttp://africanamphibians.lifedesks.org/pages/25580

IUCN Red List Assessment:
Red List Category

LC
Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2004
  • Needs updating

Assessor/s

Martin Pickersgill, Arne Schitz, Kim Howell

Reviewer/s

Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/56079

IUCN Red List Assessment:
Red List Category

LC
Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2004
  • Needs updating

Assessor/s

Martin Pickersgill, Arne Schitz

Reviewer/s

Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its relatively wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/56056

Population:

Population

It is an abundant species in suitable locations.

Population Trend

Unknown
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/56079

Description:

A small, slender savanna Afrixalus (males 15-21 mm, females 17-25 mm), from eastern Africa. The gular disc is rounded to transversely oval and weakly granular. Dorsal asperities very weak, none on tibia, generally confined to head and anterior dorsum in the subspecies A. s. stuhlmanni, but abundant in the subspecies A. s. brachycnemis. Ventrally, asperities confined to the mentum. Above silvery yellow with a dark lateral band. There is a pair of slightly convergent dark lines from the rump over the back to between the eyes. Tibia has a dark band along its lower exposed surface and often an isolated longitudinally-biased dark streak in the lighter area. The subspecies A. s. brachycnemis has a more variable pattern (Pickersgill 2007).

This species is referred to as Afrixalus sp. in older publications (Schiøtz 1974; Schiøtz 1999; Poynton and Broadley 1987). It has been split by Pickersgill (2005) into two subspecies: A. s. stuhlmanni from coastal Kenya to lowland eastern Tanzania, and A. s. brachycnemis from Malawi and eastern Zambia. Poynton (2006) regards the two as distinct species, however.

  • Pickersgill, M. (2007). Frog Search: Results of Expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.
  • IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2006. Global Amphibian Assessment: Afrixalus stuhlmanni. www.globalamphibians.org. Accessed on 23 August 2008.
  • Pickersgill, M. (2005). ''The taxonomy and ethology of the Afrixalus stuhlmanni complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae).'' Steenstrupia, 29(1), 1-38.
  • Poynton, J. (2006). ''On dwarf spiny reedfrogs in Tanzanian eastern lowlands (Anura : Afrixalus) : short communication.'' African Journal of Herpetology, 55(2), 167-169.
  • Poynton, J. C. and Broadley, D. G. (1987). ''Amphibia Zambesiaca 3. Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae.'' Annals of the Natal Museum, 28, 161-229.
  • Schiøtz, A. (1974). ''Revision of the genus Afrixalus (Anura) in Eastern Africa.'' Vedenskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening, 137, 9-18.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorSee http://www.amphibiaweb.org/datause.html.
Sourcehttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Afrixalus&where-species=stuhlmanni&account=amphibiaweb

Population:

Population

It is common wherever it is the only dwarf Afrixalus species present. Where it is sympatric with Arixalus delicatus, this species always appears to be the more rare of the two, and its populations are much smaller, with numbers of calling males at several sites estimated to be less 50 individuals.

Population Trend

Decreasing
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/56056

Taxonomic Notes:

There is considerable taxonomic confusion regarding this species. Afrixalus brachycnemis, A. pygmaeus, and A. sylvaticus are considered synonomies of A. stuhlmanni by Pickersgill (2005; Text from Harper et al., 2010).

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorZimkus, Breda, Zimkus, Breda, African Amphibians Lifedesk
Sourcehttp://africanamphibians.lifedesks.org/pages/25580

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors:

This species breeds in marshes, shrub-dominated wetlands, and permanent pools (IUCN 2006). The voice is a series of high-pitched clicks (Pickersgill 2007). For A. s. brachycnemis, the eggs are placed on grass leaves but observations indicate that the leaves are not glued together (Schiøtz 1999).

  • Pickersgill, M. (2007). Frog Search: Results of Expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.
  • IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2006. Global Amphibian Assessment: Afrixalus stuhlmanni. www.globalamphibians.org. Accessed on 23 August 2008.
  • Pickersgill, M. (2005). ''The taxonomy and ethology of the Afrixalus stuhlmanni complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae).'' Steenstrupia, 29(1), 1-38.
  • Poynton, J. (2006). ''On dwarf spiny reedfrogs in Tanzanian eastern lowlands (Anura : Afrixalus) : short communication.'' African Journal of Herpetology, 55(2), 167-169.
  • Poynton, J. C. and Broadley, D. G. (1987). ''Amphibia Zambesiaca 3. Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae.'' Annals of the Natal Museum, 28, 161-229.
  • Schiøtz, A. (1974). ''Revision of the genus Afrixalus (Anura) in Eastern Africa.'' Vedenskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening, 137, 9-18.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorSee http://www.amphibiaweb.org/datause.html.
Sourcehttp://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Afrixalus&where-species=stuhlmanni&account=amphibiaweb

Range Description:

This species is traditionally known only from Zanzibar Island in Tanzania. However, recent studies have shown that it occurs on the Tanzanian mainland from Amboni in the northeast, south to Liwale in the southeast, and inland to the Kilombero floodplain, as well as on Zanzibar. It is generally found below 300m asl.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/56079
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