Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858)

Parrinha, Diogo, Calado, Francisco M. G., Marques, Mariana P., Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2025, Echoes of a lost museum: Revision of the herpetological collections sent by Barbosa du Bocage from the Lisbon Museum to the British Museum of Natural History, Vertebrate Zoology 75, pp. 353-404 : 353-404

Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858)

Specimen.

Angola: “ W. Africa ”: BMNH 1872.2.15.1 .

Comments.

Bocage (1864 b) described Rana bragantina based on a specimen from Duque de Bragança but shortly thereafter referred it to the synonymy of Günther’s Rana occipitalis ( Bocage 1866 a, 1895 a). The two authors exchanged letters in 1869 regarding the identity of two frogs that Bocage sent to the British Museum under the genus Rana ( AHMB /CE/G85 , NHMA /DF/ZOO/200/1/189 , 190). One of the specimens was sent by Bocage as “ No. 3. Rana plicigula nov. sp. ” (Fig. 3 ) and was identified by Günther as Rana occipitalis . Although the original label with the number mentioned in the letter is missing, the specimen in question certainly corresponds to BMNH 1872.2.15.1 , while the other specimen, identified with the number 5 both in the letters and the specimen label represents Amietia angolensis (see respective account). Both specimens were cited by Boulenger (1882 b) as Rana occipitalis . The name Rana plicigula is stated in the exchanged letters, the register and the label on the jar of BMNH 1872.2.15.1 , but it never appeared in a published form, as it was a working name for a species that Bocage intended to describe before knowing Günther’s opinion. Although there is no precise locality associated with the British Museum specimen, Bocage (1895 a) knew the species only from Duque de Bragança, Dondo, Ambaca, Novo Redondo and Catumbela.

Figures

Figure 3. Sources of data examined. A Register noting specimens presented by Bocage; B Specimen jar with external label; C Original specimen label with locality and number mentioned in Bocage’s letter; D Extract of Bocage’s letter citing numbered specimens (NHMA / DF / ZOO / 235 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 76). Photos by DP.