Phrynobatrachus liberiensis Barbour and Loveridge, 1927
This species is named after the country of origin of the type material, Liberia.
Phrynobatrachus liberiensis is a medium sized (snout–vent length < 36 mm) species of puddle frog from the forest zone of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Members of this genus are identified by the presence of a midtarsal tubercle, elongate inner metatarsal tubercle, and outer metatarsal tubercle. Phrynobatrachus liberiensis exhibits a uniformly brown dorsum, a supratympanic fold that creates the appearance of a facemask, a vertical white stripe present on the nose, and dark triangular patch in anal region that is bordered on the upper sides by two white lines. Webbing is moderate with 3 phalanges free on toe IV, and the tympanum is visible.
The IUCN Red List (2009) categorizes this species as Near Threatened since it depends on areas of reasonably undisturbed forest habitat, and so its Area of Occupancy is probably not much greater than 2,000 km2, even though although it is relatively widely distributed, and the extent and quality of its habitat is declining. These factors make the species close to qualifying for the status of Vulnerable (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
It occurs in Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), the Mount Nimba World Heritage Site (Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire), Kakoum National Park (Ghana), and in several other protected areas (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
It is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat due to agricultural development, logging and expanding human settlements. Some populations might also be affected by mining activities (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
Populations of this species are decreasing (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
Phrynobatrachus liberiensis is a medium-sized species (males up to 33 mm; females up to 35.5 mm) that exhibits a uniformly brown dorsum, a supratympanic fold that creates the appearance of a facemask, a vertical white stripe present on the nose, and dark triangular patch in anal region that is bordered on the upper sides by two white lines. Webbing is moderate with 3 phalanges free on toe IV, and the tympanum is visible.
From a number of the smaller West African Phrynobatrachus species, including P. annulatus, P. calcaratus, P. taiensis, and P. villiersi, this species can be distinguished by its size (> 22 mm) and the absence of an eyelid cornicle.P. ghanensis, P. maculiventris, and P. pintoi are also smaller and have a different ventral coloration. P. tokba, P. gutturosus, and P. fraterculus are smaller, have a more slender body shape, and have only very rudimentary traces of webbing. The throat and breast are dark colored in P. intermedius, and yellowish throats are also present in males of P. accraensis and P. fraterculus. This species is morphologically most similar to P. intermedius and P. plicatus, these species have a more pointed snout and a more conspicuous face mask, compared to P. liberiensis. P. plicatus also have characteristic, distinct long and X-shaped dorsal ridges that clearly exceed the middle of the back.
This is a moderately stout species. A conical papilla is present on the middle of the tongue. The head is as long as it is broad (each 11 mm in the holotype, MCZ A-1193; Barbour and Loveridge, 1927). Snout is obtusely pointed and projecting slightly beyond the mouth. Cathus rostralis is rounded, and the loreal region is slightly concave. The nostril is noticeably nearer to the tip of the snout than the eye, and the interorbital space is slightly narrower than the upper eyelid. A fold from the posterior border of the eye borders the tympanum and extends to the base of the forelimb. The tympanum is visible. Manual webbing is absent. Tarsal and outer metatarsal tubercles are scarcely visible; inner metatarsal tubercle is well developed and a fold or groove is adjacent posteriorly. Webbing is moderate with 3 phalanges free on toe IV. Toe tips are expanded and some may be dilated into small discs. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the eye. The skin above is finely granular and warty in some specimens.
Dorsum is uniformly brown or grayish brown. Tympanic region may be slightly darker, creating the appearance of a facemask. A conpicuous vertical white stripe is present on the nose. A darker triangular patch surrounds the anal region and is bordered on the upper sides by two white lines. Some faint barring may be present on the limbs. The venter is white with brownish, white-blotched lower lips. Some brown mottling or stippling is present on the throat, breast, and limbs. The belly is immaculate. Rödel et al. (2009) reports that males have very distinct folds on a completely black throat.
Rödel and Ernst (2002) reported that males ranged from 19.0- 33.0 mm (N=69), while females ranged from 21.0- 35.5 mm (N=65). Guibé and Lamotte (1963) reported snout-vent lengths up to 25 mm in males (N=4) and 35 mm in females (N= 28). The female holotype measures 33 mm (MCZ A-11993; Barbour and Loveridge, 1927).
This species is confined to the upper Guinea forest zone of West Africa in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and south-western Ghana (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
It is found only in forest, mostly in primary but sometimes also in secondary forest, and is usually associated with swampy areas, breeding in small forest streams. It probably occurs up to at least 1,000m asl, and perhaps even higher (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
It is a very common species in suitable habitats (Rödel and Schiøtz, 2004).
Schiøtz (1964) reported that males call from the floor of the dense forest. The voice consists of a series of croaks uttered every 3 seconds. Each motif lasts 0.15 sec, consisting of a large number of figures (approximately 400/sec).