Leptopelis cf. jordani (Parker, 1936)

Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Lobón-Rovira, Baptista, Ninda L, Clark, Tyron, Verburgt, Luke, Jongsma, Gregory Fm, Conradie, Werner, and, Luis Veríssimo, Vaz, Pedro & Pinto, 2025, Filling the gaps: herpetological checklist of Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province (Angola) shed light on one of the most unexplored corners of tropical Central Africa, African Journal of Herpetology 74 (1), pp. 1-59 : 1-59

Leptopelis cf. jordani (Parker, 1936)

Figure 4K

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Mayombe NP, Mbundu; –4.6875, 12.4981; 127 m a.s.l. ; P4.105; GenBank: PQ455858. • Mayombe NP, Mbongo Zimune; –4.7442, 12.6914; 306 m a.s.l.; FKH 1245 ; GenBank: PQ455856. • Mayombe NP, Lombe River , Vaku; –4.6403, 12.935; 269 m a.s.l.; FKH 1248 ; GenBank: PQ455857.

Identification. A medium-sized and robust Leptopelis (max. SVL = 62 mm). The species was originally described from Congulo in the central Angolan escarpment. Genetically, L. jordani belongs to the L. bocagii complex ( Baptista 2024), from which it differs by only 1.3% 16S p -distance. It can be distinguished from the latter species by having arboreal habits (versus ground-dwelling in L. bocagii sensu stricto), well-developed discs on fingers and toes (versus absent in L. bocagii ), and usually shows characteristic white leg and arm margins and spots in knees and elbows (versus absence of white markings on L. bocagii ). Therefore, we ascribe specimens from Cabinda Province to L. cf. jordani based on the similar morphology to topotypic material (presence of discs and white markings) and behaviour (arboreal). However, the low genetic divergence on the 16S gene makes it impossible to resolve the taxonomy of this complex until other taxonomic tools can be applied.

Biology and distribution. The real distribution of this species is still poorly understood, but specimens ascribed to this forest-obligate, arboreal form have been recorded along the western escarpment of Angola ( Baptista 2024) and now also in Cabinda Province. The specimens from Cabinda Province were found in Lower and Upper Mayombe , on leaves more than 2 m high in primary or secondary forest .

Figures

Figure 4. Species of the families Arthroleptidae, Bufonidae and Dicroglossidae recorded from Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province, Angola. Codes in brackets represent field tissue numbers. A. Arthroleptis adelphus from Miconge, Upper Mayombe (P3.186). B. A. carquejai (P3.123) and C. A. aff. poecilonotus (P3.119) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. D. A. sylvaticus from Miconge, Upper Mayombe (P2.194). E. Cardioglossa leucomystax from Vaku (P2.031) and from F. Miconge (P2.218), Upper Mayombe. G. Leptopelis aubryi from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe (P3.214). H. L. cf. aubryioides (P3.514), I. L. boulengeri (P3.523) and J. L. cf. calcaratus (P3.513) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. K. L. cf. jordani (P3.163) from Lombe River, Vaku, Upper Mayombe. L. L. millsoni (P9.070) from South of Dinge. M. L. ocellatus (P3.113) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. N. L. rufus (P2.045) from Vaku, Upper Mayombe O. Scotobleps gabonicus (P3.139) from Chimbete, Lower Mayombe. P. Trichobatrachus robustus (P2.181) from Miconge, and Q. Nectophryne afra (P2.063) from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. R. N. aff. batesii (P3.224) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe. S. Sclerophrys sp. (P2.042) from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. T. S. pusilla (P2.094) from Sanga Mongo, Lower Mayombe. U. S. regularis (P1.142) from Tando Zinze. V. S. tuberosa (P3.509) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. W. Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (P9.073) from South of Dinge. Photographs by PVP (A–J, L, N, P–T, V–W), JLR (K, M, O) and TB (U).