Field Guide to the Frogs & Other Amphibians of Africa - Softcover

Channing, Alan; Rödel, Mark-Oliver

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1775845125 ISBN 13: 9781775845126

Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa, 2019

Synopsis

815 species of amphibian have been described on the African continent – 788 frogs, 23 caecilians and four salamanders. Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa is the first guide ever to cover all these species. It features a brief introduction with tips for handling and identifying amphibians and a useful illustrated guide to each family group serves as a first step towards species ID. Species accounts describe physical features, distribution, habitat, biology, advertisement calls and conservation status, and are supported by colour photographs and up-to-date distribution maps. This guide will prove invaluable to nature lovers, tour guides, students and scientists.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6
Breeding and development 7
Amphibians as prey and predators 7
Distribution and habitat 7
Finding and handling amphibians 8
Arrangement of the book 10
How to identify an amphibian 14
Glossary 15
Photographic guide to groups 18

Caecilians 28
African Caecilians
(Boulengerula, Herpele) 28
Buried-eyed Caecilians
(Crotaphatrema, Scolecomorphus) 30
Tropical African Caecilians
(Schistometopum, Geotrypetes) 32
Indo-African Caecilians
(Sylvacaecilia, Idiocranium) 34

Newts and salamanders 36

Frogs 38
Midwife Toads (Alytes) 38
Painted Frogs (Discoglossus) 38
Dwarf Clawed Frogs
(Hymenochirus, Pseudhymenochirus) 40
Clawed Frogs (Xenopus) 42
Ghost Frogs
(Hadromophryne, Heleophryne) 52
Common Toads (Barbarophryne,
Bufo, Bufotes, Sclerophrys) 56
Van Dijk’s Toads (Vandijkophrynus) 76
Pygmy Toads (Poyntonophrynus) 78
Red Toads (Schismaderma) 82
Alpine Toads (Altiphrynoides) 82
Mountain Toadlets (Capensibufo) 84
Forest Toads (Mertensophryne) 86
Metallic Toads (Churamiti) 90
Tree Toads (Nectophryne) 92
Dwarf Toads (Didynamipus) 94
Forest Tree Toads (Wolterstorffina) 94
Parker’s Tree Toads (Laurentophryne) 96
Torrent Toads (Werneria) 98
Nimba Toads (Nimbaphrynoides) 102
Viviparous Toads (Nectophrynoides) 102
Rubber Frogs (Phrynomantis) 108
Three-fingered Frogs (Hoplophryne) 110
Black-banded Frogs (Parhoplophryne) 112
Piglet Frogs (Hemisus) 112
Rain Frogs (Breviceps, Balebreviceps) 116
Forest Frogs (Probreviceps) 124
Cave Frogs (Spelaeophryne) 126
Warty Frogs (Callulina) 126
Spiny Frogs (Acanthixalus) 130
Wot-Wots (Phlyctimantis) 132
Running Frogs
(Kassina, Semnodactylus) 136
Clicking Frogs (Kassinula) 146
Mountain Kassinas (Paracassina) 146
Green-eyed Frogs (Cryptothylax) 148
Copper Frogs (Chrysobatrachus) 148
Painted Frogs (Callixalus) 150
Blue-Eyed Frogs (Morerella) 150
Orange Frogs (Opisthothylax) 152
Spiny Reed Frogs (Afrixalus) 152
Harlequin Frogs (Arlequinus) 166
Egg-guarding Frogs (Alexteroon) 168
Reed Frogs (Hyperolius) 170
Foam-nest Frogs (Chiromantis) 210
Northern Tree Frogs (Hyla) 212
Tree Frogs (Leptopelis) 212
Night Frogs (Astylosternus) 230
Cat-eyed Frogs (Nyctibates) 236
Gabon Forest Frogs (Scotobleps) 238
Hairy Frogs (Trichobatrachus) 238
Long-fingered Frogs (Cardioglossa) 240
Egg Frogs (Leptodactylodon) 246
Squeakers (Arthroleptis) 254
Puddle Frogs (Phrynobatrachus) 270
Toothed Frogs (Odontobatrachus) 314
Bale Mountain Frogs (Ericabatrachus) 316
Torrent Frogs
(Arthroleptides, Petropedetes) 316
Ornate Frogs (Hildebrandtia) 322
Lanza’s Frogs (Lanzarana) 324
Grass Frogs (Ptychadena) 324
Giant Frogs (Conraua) 346
Tiger Frogs (Hoplobatrachus) 350
Fishing Frogs (Aubria) 352
River Frogs (Amietia) 352
Stream Frogs (Strongylopus) 358
Chirping Frogs (Anhydrophryne) 362
Moss Frogs (Arthroleptella) 364
Dainty Frogs (Cacosternum) 368
Micro Frogs (Microbatrachella) 374
Kloof Frogs (Natalobatrachus) 374
Mongrel Frogs (Nothophryne) 374
Marsh Frogs (Poyntonia) 376
Bullfrogs (Pyxicephalus) 376
Sand Frogs (Tomopterna) 378
Spadefoot Toads (Pelobates) 384
Green Frogs (Pelophylax) 384
White-lipped Frogs (Amnirana) 386

Taxonomy 396
Further reading 398
Index to scientific names 399
Index to common names 403
Political map of Africa 408

About this title

About the Author:

Alan Channing has studied African frogs and tadpoles for many years. He has worked in many parts of the continent, and authored three books on African frogs and tadpoles. He is well known in the academic community, and is associated with the University of the Western Cape, and North-West University in South Africa.

Mark-Oliver Rödel works with his team at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Germany. For many years he has studied the taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of African amphibians. He has a special interest in how species react to environmental changes. He has written more than 300 scientific and popular publications, including several books.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1775845125
• ISBN 13: 9781775845126
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 408