Hyperolius pseudargus

Species of amphibian

Hyperolius pseudargus

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Amphibia
Order:  | Anura
Family:  | Hyperoliidae
Genus:  | Hyperolius
Species:  |

H. pseudargus

Binomial name
Hyperolius pseudargus

Schiøtz [fr] and Westergaard, 1999

Hyperolius pseudargus, also known as the Mette's reed frog,[2][3] is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae.[1][2][4][3] It is endemic to south-central Tanzania and occurs in the Udzungwa Mountains and south to Njombe in the Southern Highlands.[1][2] Male Hyperolius pseudargus greatly resemble Hyperolius argus but have less webbing between the toes and the male advertisement call is different.[5] The vernacular name refers to Mette Westergaard, Danish biologist who collected the holotype and is the junior describer of this species.[6]

## Description[edit]

Males measure 31–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) in snout–vent length. The body and head are broad and flat. The eyes are not very protruding. Webbing between the toes is reduced.[5] The dorsum is green with narrow yellow canthal and dorsolateral stripes, although these may sometimes be indistinct; small yellow dots are usually present. The upper eyelid is yellow or slightly reddish. The ventrum is yellow. The toes and fingers are yellow-green.[3] Males have a large vocal sac that is bluish when calling, yellow green otherwise.[5]

The male advertisement call is a fast series of very loud, harsh clicks, emitted in a somewhat accelerating rhythm.[4][3]

## Habitat and conservation[edit]

Hyperolius pseudargus inhabits open farmland, heavily degraded former forests (farm bush), and montane grasslands at elevations of 1,500–1,850 m (4,920–6,070 ft) above sea level. Breeding takes place in small pools and males call from sedges near water and from floating vegetation.[1]

This species is common. Although its range is small, it is adaptable and is not facing significant threats. It might occur in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Hyperolius pseudargus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T56186A18381991. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56186A18381991.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
2. ^ a b c d Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Hyperolius pseudargus Schiøtz and Westergaard, 1999". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
3. ^ a b c d Zimkus, Breda (2014). "Hyperolius pseudargus Schiøtz and Westergaard in Schiøtz, 1999". African Amphibians. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
4. ^ a b "Hyperolius pseudargus". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
5. ^ a b c Schiøtz, A. & Westergaard, M. M. (2000). "Notes on some Hyperolius (Anura: Hyperoliidae) from Tanzania, with supplementary information on two recently described species" (PDF). Steenstrupia. 25 (1): 1–9.
6. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 142\. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q1943466
* Wikispecies: Hyperolius pseudargus
* AmphibiaWeb: 5808
* ASW: Hyperolius-pseudargus
* CoL: 3NQXT
* EoL: 337415
* GBIF: 5217670
* iNaturalist: 23293
* IRMNG: 11260137
* ITIS: 663157
* IUCN: 56186
* NCBI: 1680150
* SeaLifeBase: 64211
* uBio: 4803028

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