259
6
AMPHIBIANS (FROGS)
FAMILY: DICROGLOSSIDAE
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis Günther 1858
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dicroglossidae
Common name: African groovecrowned frog, crowned bullfrog.
Distribution: From southern Mauritania
to Ethiopia, south through East Africa to
northern Zambia, southern and western
Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola,
and coastal Congo, Gabon and Cameroon
(IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group,
2014).
Habitat: From dry savannas to disturbed forest, using logging roads and
rivers to penetrate deep into lowland
forest.
Description: A large dorsoventrally
flattened ranid frog species with a
very warty skin whose eyes and nostrils are dorsally positioned. It has
complete webbing between the toes
and fingers. Due to numerous glands,
the skin is very slippery. It has a broad
mouth and the border of the lower jaw
has three tooth-like structures. The
distinct tympanum is bordered by a
bulging supratympanal fold. Males
have paired lateral vocal sacs. Females
have a size of 127 mm and 235 g. Adult
males measure 52–104 mm in length
and 24–84 g in weight. The basic color
of the body and limbs is a yellowish
green, olive, or drab brown. Large
dark green to blackish spots, which
occasionally form rows, are present on
the back (AmphibiaWeb, 2014b).
6
AMPHIBIANS (FROGS)
FAMILY: DICROGLOSSIDAE
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis Günther 1858
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dicroglossidae
Common name: African groovecrowned frog, crowned bullfrog.
Distribution: From southern Mauritania
to Ethiopia, south through East Africa to
northern Zambia, southern and western
Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola,
and coastal Congo, Gabon and Cameroon
(IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group,
2014).
Habitat: From dry savannas to disturbed forest, using logging roads and
rivers to penetrate deep into lowland
forest.
Description: A large dorsoventrally
flattened ranid frog species with a
very warty skin whose eyes and nostrils are dorsally positioned. It has
complete webbing between the toes
and fingers. Due to numerous glands,
the skin is very slippery. It has a broad
mouth and the border of the lower jaw
has three tooth-like structures. The
distinct tympanum is bordered by a
bulging supratympanal fold. Males
have paired lateral vocal sacs. Females
have a size of 127 mm and 235 g. Adult
males measure 52–104 mm in length
and 24–84 g in weight. The basic color
of the body and limbs is a yellowish
green, olive, or drab brown. Large
dark green to blackish spots, which
occasionally form rows, are present on
the back (AmphibiaWeb, 2014b).