taxonID	type	description	language	source
038300324C1DFFDCC2BBFBC4FD06F978.taxon	description	Habitat, population size, and activity of H. nimbae. The Mount Nimba Reedfrog was found only in the Yéalé village (07 ° 31.928 ’ N, 008 ° 25.401 ’ W; 425 m asl) at the periphery of MNINR. Our efforts to confirm the species around village forests at Dagbonpleu, Danipleu, Kouan-Houlé, and Zéalé were unsuccessful. The forest areas formerly at these sites were destroyed and replaced by roads and new settlements. At Yéalé, the habitat comprised altered forest bordered by patches of bamboo, intact forests, degraded forests with large clearings, and thick grassy and shrubby vegetation around the settlement. Large parts of the village’s surroundings were dominated by small-scale subsistence farming, mainly plantings of corn, cassava, plantains, cocoa, and coffee, as well as rice in swamps. During the entire study, the vegetation around swamps was checked at seven sites without detecting any sign of H. nimbae ’ s presence. Specimens of H. nimbae were found only in a mixed cocoa and coffee plantation (including plantains) edging a large and deep pond (greater than 100 x 70 m; Fig. 2), where males started calling at dusk, usually around 1810 h GMT. Calling males were active in each month of our study and congregated in large choruses, particularly during the rainy season. Calling activity never stopped, but was low during the dry season, as indicated by the much lower numbers of frogs caught during that time (Fig. 3). The calling males were mostly well concealed, perching between thick branches and leaves of cocoa and coffee trees at ~ 1.80 – 2.10 m above the ground. Througout the study, a total of 305 frogs were captured (Fig. 3; Appendix 1). They comprised 277 individuals, including one couple, caught in the rainy season and 28 males caught in the dry season. Generally, additional calling males were inaccessible, calling from high up in tall trees close to the deep pond. Sympatric amphibian species in Yéalé were the White-lipped Frogs Amnirana sp. “ albolabris west ”, Afrixalus dorsalis, A. fulvovittatus, Hyperolius concolor, H. fusciventris fusciventris, H. picturatus, Phrynobatrachus gutturosus, and P. latifrons, thus representing a typical composition of a farmbush anuran community (Schiøtz 1967). Morphology of H. nimbae. We retained 13 males and one female H. nimbae as vouchers. Snout-urostyle lengths of the voucher males ranged from 28.8 – 35.0 mm (32.3 ± 1.8 mm), thus slightly exceeding the known range of H. nimbae (Schiøtz 1967). The head was slightly longer (12.0 ± 1.1 mm; range: 10.0 – 13.5 mm) than broad (10.8 ± 0.8 mm; range: 9.9 – 12.5 mm); interorbital space ranged from 5.0 – 7.5 mm (6.4 ± 0.7 mm); the distance between eye and nostril (2.1 ± 0.3 mm; range: 2.0 – 3.0 mm) approximated the distance from nostril to tip of snout (2.2 ± 0.3; range: 1.5 – 2.0 mm); eye diameter (4.6 ± 0.4 mm; range: 4.0 – 5.1 mm) was larger than internarial space (3.2 ± 0.3 mm; range: 3.0 – 4.0 mm) and tympanum diameter (2.3 ± 0.3 mm; range: 2.0 – 3.0 mm); crus length (16.5 ± 1.0 mm; range: 15.1 – 18.9 mm) slightly exceeded thigh length (15.0 ± 0.8 mm; range: 13.5 – 16.1 mm); and foot length including the longest toe ranged from 21.0 – 26.9 mm (23.1 ± 1.6 mm). The female measured 34.0 mm SUL (Fig. 4 A). Its head was slightly longer (14.0 mm) than broad (12.1 mm); the interorbital space reached 8.0 mm; the distance between eye and nostril (3.4 mm) was longer than the distance from nostril to tip of snout (1.8 mm); eye diameter (5.0 mm) was larger than internarial space (3.0 mm) and tympanum diameter (2.9 mm); crus length (18.0 mm) slightly exceeded thigh length (17.1 mm); and foot length including the tarsus and the longest toe reached 24.5 mm. Mount Nimba reedfrogs have a brief and truncated snout and rough to warty dorsal skin with a varied color pattern. The basic dorsal pattern varied from silver-grey to chocolate brown. The dark pattern on the back varied in intensity, but the general pattern was always similar and recognizable (Fig. 4). The female coloration was within the variation of the males (Fig. 4), but the discs on toes and fingers were more reddish than in most males (Fig. 4 A). Likewise, the ventral color differed slightly between individuals, but the female was not different from the males (Fig. 5). However, instead of a dark vocal sac and yellowish gular gland, the female had a white throat, with the edges beset by orange and black speckles. The armpits and inner parts of limbs including webbing were blood red (Fig. 5 C). Some males had similarly reddish skin parts (Fig. 5 A), areas which are used for water uptake, see Rödel (2000), whereas others had blue-grey skin instead (Fig. 5 B). Reproduction of H. nimbae. At Yéalé, a couple of H. nimbae in amplexus was captured on a Raphia Palm in deeper water (> 1 m). The couple was placed into a terrarium, and the following morning, 227 eggs were found attached to a leaf above the water surface. The eggs had a dark and light green pole that was surrounded by a thin transparent jelly (Fig. 5 D). Egg diameter varied from 1.6 ‒ 2.5 mm, with a mean value of 1.99 mm (SD: ± 0.18 mm). Vocalization of H. nimbae. The acoustic properties of nine advertisement calls of one H. nimbae male were analyzed (Fig. 6). Hyperolius nimbae call in a long, fast series of pulse groups (notes), thus confirming the call descriptions provided by Schiøtz (1967). The call duration averaged 2.77 ± 0.56 s (range: 1.89 ‒ 3.25 s). The duration intervals between calls averaged 0.44 ± 0.23 s (range: 0.22 ‒ 0.87 s, N = 8). Intervals between notes within each call were 0.15 ± 0.03 s (range: 0.09 – 3.48 s, N = 131). The mean fundamental frequency was 1,359.37 Hz (N = 9), while the dominant frequency reached 2,718.75 Hz (N = 9). The maximum frequency intensity was at 2,906.25 Hz (N = 9), and the minimum frequency intensity averaged 2,718.75 Hz (N = 9). Threats to H. nimbae. We failed to confirm the species presence at all sites where we had recorded it only a few years before (see above). In addition, we observed various signs of habitat degradation in the habitats of H. nimbae at Yéalé. Aside from the close proximity to a human settlement, the frogs’ habitats were dominated by cocoa and coffee plants, and used for small-scale subsistence farming, i. e., plantains and cassava. Large parts of the breeding area of H. nimbae were used to establish rice paddies. Bamboo patches were steadily harvested by the local human population as construction materials. The rainforest edges were impacted by logging (Fig. 2).	en	Gongomin, Basseu Aude-Inès, Kouamé, N’Goran Germain, Agoh, Konan Laurent, Kanga, Kouassi Philippe, Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2022): New biological data for two rare reedfrog species, Hyperolius nimbae Laurent, 1958, and H. chlorosteus (Boulenger, 1915) (Anura: Hyperoliidae). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 318) 16 (2): 88-103, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13269990
038300324C1BFFD1C2BBF928FD56FC18.taxon	description	Habitat, population size, and activity of H. chlorosteus. Specimens of H. chlorosteus were found in MNINR in a patch of dense, broadleaf and evergreen primary forest at a mid-elevation along a torrent stream (07 ° 34.652 ’ N, 008 ° 24.966 ’ W; 716 m asl; Fig. 7 A), as well as in a degraded forest edging a large stream at Yéalé village (07 ° 31.932 ’ N, 008 ° 25.508 ’ W; 387 m asl; Fig. 7 B). From April – November, the rainy season, a total of 341 H. chlorosteus were captured in the two sites, always at night along the streams (Fig. 8; Appendix 2). In the dry season, from December to March, no signs of the species’ presence were observed. Males started calling at around 1800 h GMT, most often after heavy rainfall. In a patch of primary forest, 327 calling males perched on leaves and branches of small shrubs at ~ 1.5 – 2.0 m height above the ground (e. g., Fig. 7 C) were captured. The other recorded males were heard calling from very high up in tall trees along the forest stream. A few calling males (N = 11) were also found in a degraded forest, edging a large stream at Yéalé village (07 ° 31.932 ’ N, 008 ° 25.508 ’ W; 387 m asl; Fig. 7 B). There, they called on shrubs, with the calling sites ranging from 1.80 m above the ground to much higher. Sympatric frogs were Leptopelis macrotis, Hyperolius picturatus, and White-lipped Frogs Amnirana sp. “ albolabris west. ” Morphology of H. chlorosteus. The snout-urostyle lengths of 15 males, retained as vouchers, ranged from 31.5 – 35.0 mm (33.8 ± 1.3 mm), thus occurring within the known range of H. chlorosteus (Schiøtz 1967). The head was slightly longer (12.0 ± 0.1 mm; range: 12.0 – 12.2 mm) than broad (11.5 ± 0.7 mm; range: 10.5 – 13.0 mm); the interorbital space ranged from 5.9 – 7.2 mm (6.5 ± 0.4 mm); the distance between eye and nostril (3.0 ± 0.2 mm; range: 2.5 – 3.5 mm) was approximately twice the distance from nostril to tip of snout (1.4 ± 0.6; range: 0.6 – 2.4 mm); the eye diamter (5.1 ± 0.3 mm; range: 4.4 – 5.5 mm) was larger than internarial space (2.6 ± 0.4 mm; range: 2.1 – 3.0 mm) and tympanum diameter (2.8 ± 0.2 mm; range: 2.2 – 3.0 mm); the crus length (17.0 ± 0.7 mm; range: 15.4 – 18.1 mm) slightly exceeded the thigh length (15.9 ± 0.8 mm; range: 14.9 – 16.9 mm); and foot length including the longest toe ranged from 21.5 – 23.5 mm (22.2 ± 0.8 mm). Two females measured 36.8 and 37.5 mm in SUL. As in the males, their heads were slightly longer (13.5 mm) than broad (13.2 mm); interorbital spaces were 7.0 and 7.2 mm; the distance between eye and nostril was longer (3.3 ± 0.3 mm; range: 3.1 – 3.5 mm) than the distance from nostril to tip of snout (1.9 ± 0.1 mm; range: 1.9 – 2.0 mm); the eye diamter (5.0 ± 0.1 mm; range: 5.0 – 5.1 mm) exceeded the internarial space (2.9 ± 0.1 mm; range: 2.9 – 3.0 mm) and tympanum diameter (2.9 ± 0.1 mm; range: 2.8 – 3.0 mm); the crus length (17.7 ± 0.3 mm; range: 17.5 – 17.9 mm) slightly exceeded thigh length (16.9 ± 1.5 mm; range: 15.9 – 18.0 mm); and foot length including the tarsus and longest toe ranged from 23.5 – 23.8 mm (23.6 ± 0.2 mm). The color pattern of H. chlorosteus showed some variations (see Figs. 7 and 9), however, all were within the range known for the species (compare Schiøtz 1967; Rödel 2003; Channing and Rödel 2019). Reproduction of H. chlorosteus. One female perched on a broad leaf of a shrub overhanging a forest stream, at ~ 1.5 m height, was captured. Eggs were visible through its ventral skin (Figs. 7 D and 9 F). An amplectant couple was seen sitting on low vegetation in this site (Fig. 7 E). This couple was placed in a terrarium and a clutch of 62 eggs was present the next morning. The eggs were attached to the glass above the water. They had beige and dark poles surrounded by a thin transparent capsule (Fig. 7 F). Egg diameters varied from 2.0 ‒ 2.5 mm, mean 2.2 mm (SD: ± 0.25 mm). The jelly of H. chlorosteus eggs is slightly opaque. Six additional H. chlorosteus clutches observed in Taï National Park, south-west of Ivory Coast, ranged from 54 ‒ 122 eggs (86.2 ± 28.8 eggs; Table 2). Vocalization of H. chlorosteus. Five advertisement calls were recorded from one male (Fig. 10). The calls were repeated 2 – 7 times (Fig. 10 B). The acoustic impression of the call is a low-pitched, far ranging metallic click with a mean duration of 0.87 ± 0.34 s (range: 0.51 – 1.41 s). The duration intervals between calls averaged 2.90 ± 1.27 s (range: 1.36 – 4.0 s, N = 4). The mean fundamental frequency was 1,303.12 ± 83.85 Hz (range: 1,265.62 – 1,453.12 Hz, N = 5), while the dominant frequency reached 2,606.3 ± 167.70 Hz (range: 2,531.25 – 2,906.25 Hz, N = 5). The maximum frequency intensity was at 2,643.75 ± 167.70 Hz (range: 2,531.25 – 2,906.25 Hz, N = 5), and the minimum frequency intensity averaged at 2,531.25 ± 229.64 Hz (range: 2,343.75 – 2,906.25 Hz, N = 5). Threats to H. chlorosteus. Major threats to H. chlorosteus were observed at Yéalé, where some forest pockets along streams had been cleared and converted to cocoa and coffee plantations, as well as rice cultivation.	en	Gongomin, Basseu Aude-Inès, Kouamé, N’Goran Germain, Agoh, Konan Laurent, Kanga, Kouassi Philippe, Rödel, Mark-Oliver (2022): New biological data for two rare reedfrog species, Hyperolius nimbae Laurent, 1958, and H. chlorosteus (Boulenger, 1915) (Anura: Hyperoliidae). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 318) 16 (2): 88-103, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13269990
