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Four species of African bullfrogs are currently recognised. We describe a new species from southern Africa, which can be distinguished on the basis of morphology, advertisement call and DNA sequences. Morphologically it differs from other bullfrogs by a combination of characteristics including a tympanum that is smaller or equal in size to the eye, and smaller in diameter than the space between eye and tympanum, presence of a white dot on the tympanum, longitudinal skin ridges with speckling between dorsal mottles, pale vertebral line usually present, absence of cream coloured lateral stripes, absence of a pale interorbital-bar, upper jaw-barring absent or faint. It has been confirmed from north-eastern Namibia, southern Angola and north-western Botswana. Three further undescribed species are recognised but not formally named, pending further investigation. We confirm the genetic distinctiveness of P. angusticeps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is implicated in global declines of amphibian populations and has been documented in African specimens originally collected as far back as the 1930s. Numerous recent surveys focusing on regional pathogen prevalence have greatly increased the number of known occurrences of Bd in African species, but few studies have focused on continental distribution patterns. We analyzed all known positive occurrences of Bd in African amphibians to date, including newly reported data from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Namibia, and the Republic of the Congo. Records from both Namibia and the Republic of the Congo reported herein represent first positive occurrences for these countries. With this most comprehensive sampling of the African continent to date we identified patterns of Bd-positive occurrences associated with (1) location (i.e., biogeographic region, country), (2) taxonomy, (3) life history, and (4) threat of extinction. We used fine-grained (30 arc seconds) environmental niche models (ENMs) to predict the continental distribution of Bd and identify hotspots for the pathogen, including areas not previously modeled to have high suitability for the fungus, and areas of high amphibian biodiversity from which Bd has not yet been documented. Our ENMs predicted that the environmentally suitable range of Bd encompasses vast areas of high amphibian biodiversity, including the Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift. Although our ENMs indicated that West Africa is environmentally suitable for Bd, the fungus has not been reported west of the Dahomey Gap. Likewise, the ENMs also identified regions across the Congo Basin and coastal Angola that are environmentally suitable for the pathogen but from which Bd has not yet been reported, underscoring a need for Bd surveys in these regions. Although amphibian declines in Africa have not been directly attributed to chytridiomycosis, Bd has been detected in over one fifth of the most-threatened African amphibians. Given the presence of the hypervirulent Bd global panzootic lineage (BdGPL) in Africa, we believe that the threat of Bd as a novel pathogen may be underestimated and that focused research is urgently needed to identify which species are susceptible to Bd-driven declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents Case 3666 at the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) which recommends the conservation of the name Dicroglossidae Dubois, 1987 for a frog family under Article 81 of the Code. Included in the article are single species Dicroglossus adolfi as junior subjective synonym of genus Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider, 1799, Dicroglossus as invalid junior synonym of genus Rana Linnaeus, and the single species Xenophrys monticola Günther, 1858.

The purpose of this application, under Article 81 of the Code, is to conserve the name dicroglossidae Dubois, 1987 for a family of frogs. Analysis of the publication where the name dicroglossidae was first used (Anderson, 1871) showed that this was an incorrect subsequent spelling of discoglossidae Günther, 1858 and therefore not an available name. This name would have been made available by Dubois (1987) except that Dicroglossus Günther, 1860 was then considered a junior subjective synonym of Euphlyctis Fitzinger, 1843 and thus unable to be the type-genus of a new family-group name according to Article 11.7.1.1 of the Code. However, dicroglossidae is a widely used family name in the recent taxonomy of amphibians. It includes about 180 species distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia. We therefore ask the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to make the name dicroglossini Dubois, 1987, with the type genus Dicroglossus Günther, 1860, available by original designation of Dubois (1987, p. 57); to place the names dicroglossini Dubois, 1987 and Dicroglossus Günther, 1860, on the relevant Official Lists of Names in Zoology; and to place the name ' dicroglossidae Anderson, 1871', an incorrect subsequent spelling of discoglossidae Günther, 1858, on the Index of Invalid and Rejected Family-Group Names in Zoology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new record of Crambionella stuhlmanni is reported from the east coast of South Africa. The material is described using quantitative morphological data, and mitochondrial (CO1) and nuclear (ITS-1) sequence data. The species can be diagnosed by a combination of morphological features including the presence of conical projections on velar lappets, the absence of orbicular appendages among mouthlets and the short length of the terminal club on the oral arm. Mitochondrial sequence data unambiguously delineate C. stuhlmanni as a separate species from C. orsini, and phylogenetic analyses support its placement within the monophyletic genus, Crambionella. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a morphological study on the systematics of Phrynobatrachus scheffleri and P. kakamikro sp. n. which are frog species both found in East Africa. It says that the study used the specimens from museum collections and that morphological characters include snoutvent length (SVL), dorsal skin texture, and interorbital space (IO). It tells that DNA Sequence alignment was conducted and that frequency information was acquired via Fast Fourier Transformation. It explores the physical characteristics, the molecular genetics, and the distribution and life history of P. scheffleri and P. kakamikro sp. n.

A new species of puddle frog in the genus Phrynobatrachus (Ranidae) is described from central Tanzania. It is compared to all other East African species and found to be most similar to P. natalensis. The distinctive features of this species include the male advertisement call, visible tympanum, snout-vent length, and the lack of digital discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogenetic relationships of the African mongrel frog genus Nothophryne are poorly understood. We provide the first molecular assessment of the phylogenetic position of, and diversity within, this monotypic genus from across its range—the Afromontane regions of Malawi and Mozambique. Our analysis using a two-tiered phylogenetic approach allowed us to place the genus in Pyxicephalidae. Within the family, Nothophryne grouped with Tomopterna , a hypothesis judged significantly better than alternative hypotheses proposed based on morphology. Our analyses of populations across the range of Nothophryne suggest the presence of several cryptic species, at least one species per mountain. Formal recognition of these species is pending but there is a major conservation concern for these narrowly distributed populations in an area impacted by major habitat change. The phylogenetic tree of pyxicephalids is used to examine evolution of life history, ancestral habitat, and biogeography of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]