Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference

Rana mascareniensis Duméril and Bibron, 1841, Erp. Gen., 8: 350. Syntypes: MNHNP 4379-4381 (according to Guibé, 1950 "1948", Cat. Types Amph. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat.: 43), MCZ 1044 (on exchange from MNHNP according to Barbour and Loveridge, 1929, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 69: 329), and USNM 10975 (2 specimens) considered probable cotypes by Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 75. Dimensions provided for only one specimen in the original paper. Type locality: "Mascareignes" and "Séchelles"; given as "Island of Réunion, Mascarene Islands (Indian Ocean)" by Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 75, and "Ile Bourbon" (= Réunion), by Blommers-Schlösser and Blanc, 1991, Faune de Madagascar, 75: 131.

Rana nilotica Seetzen, 1855, Reisen Syrien, 3: 490. Syntypes: 3 specimens, presumably deposted in ZMB. Type locality: "Kahira", (= Cairo, Egypt. Considered a synonym of Rana mascareniensis (along with several other now-recognized species) by Peters, 1869, Reisen Ost-Afr. 1859-1865, 3: 17 (with Rana bibroni); Boulenger, 1879, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 4: 92-94; Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 52; Guibé and Lamotte, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 978.

Rana savignyi Jan, 1857, Cenni Mus. Civ. Milano: 52. Types: MCSM. Type locality: not stated. Considered a synonym of Rana mascareniensis (along with several other now-recognized species) by Boulenger, 1879, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 4: 92-94; Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 52.

Rana idae Steindachner, 1864, Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien, 14: 266. Holotype: NHMW 3185.1, according to Häupl, Tiedemann, and Grillitsch, 1994, Kat. Wiss. Samml. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 9: 31. Type locality: "Madagascar". Considered a synonym of Rana mascareniensis (along with several other now-recognized species) by Boulenger, 1879, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 4: 92-94; Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 52; Guibé and Lamotte, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 978.

Rana nigrescens Steindachner, 1864, Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien, 14: 268. Syntypes: NHMW 3185 (5 specimens), according to Häupl, Tiedemann, and Grillitsch, 1994, Kat. Wiss. Samml. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 9: 33. Type locality: "Madagascar". Considered a synonym of Rana mascareniensis (along with several other now-recognized species) by Boulenger, 1879, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 4: 92-94; Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 52; Guibé and Lamotte, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 978. Junior homonym of Rana nigrescens LeConte, 1855.

Rana spinidactyla Cope, 1865, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 17: 197. Type(s): Presumably formerly ANSP, now lost. Type locality: "Natal" (= KwaZulu-Natal Province), Rep. South Africa. A Nomen dubium according to Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 7. Considered a synonym of Ptychadena mascareniensis by Günther, 1866, Zool. Rec., 2: 159, and Loveridge, 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 117: 342. According to Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 93, it is impossible to match this name to any known frog from Natal.

Hyperolius idae — Boettger, 1879, Abh. Senckenb. Naturforsch. Ges., 11: 42.

Hyperolius nigrescens — Boettger, 1879, Abh. Senckenb. Naturforsch. Ges., 11: 42.

Rana marchei Rochebrune, 1885, Bull. Soc. Philomath., Paris, Ser. 7, 9: 90. Types: "Mus. Bouvieri"; presumably to MNHNP but not known to be there. Type locality: "ad ripas rivuli Sangourougou", Senegal. Synonymy by Noble, 1924, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 49: 220.

Rana venusta Werner, 1908 "1907", Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Phys. Math. Naturwiss. Kl., 116: 1892. Syntypes: NHMW (3 specimens), by original designation; NHMW 12235 considered holotype by Häupl, Tiedemann, and Grillitsch, 1994, Kat. Wiss. Samml. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 9: 33. Type localitIes: "im Sudan ausschliesslich bei Mongolla", Sudan (3 specimens). Synonymy by Loveridge, 1936, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Publ., Zool. Ser., 22: 94; Guibé and Lamotte, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 979.

Rana mascariensis — Meek, 1910, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Publ., Zool. Ser., 7: 403. Misspelling.

Rana (Ptychadena) mascareniensis — Boulenger, 1918, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 43: 114. Procter, 1920, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1920: 412; De Witte, 1921, Rev. Zool. Afr., 9: 6; Parker, 1936, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1936: 139; Dubois, 1981, Monit. Zool. Ital., N.S., Suppl., 15: 233; by implication.

Rana mascareniensis venusta — Loveridge, 1933, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 74: 370. Loveridge, 1936, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Publ., Zool. Ser., 22: 94; Mertens, 1938, Senckenb. Biol., 20: 425.

Ptychadena mascareniensis — Deckert, 1938, Sitzungsber. Ges. Naturforsch. Freunde Berlin, 1938: 147. Guibé and Lamotte, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 942; Schiøtz, 1963, Vidensk. Medd. Dansk Naturhist. Foren., 125: 24; Dubois, 1987 "1986", Alytes, 5: 56; by implication.

Ptychadena bibroni — Laurent, 1950, Publ. Cult. Companhia Diamantes Angola, 6: 135 (14 in preprint).

Rana (Ptychadena) mascareniensis mascareniensis — De Witte, 1952, Result. Sci., Explor. Hydrobiol. Lac Tanganyika (1946-47), 3: 6. Perret and Mertens, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 568.

Rana (Ptychadena) mascareniensis venusta — Perret and Mertens, 1957, Bull. Inst. Franç. Afr. Noire, Ser. A, 19: 568.

Ptychadena mascareniensis mascareniensis — Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 128.

Ptychadena (Ptychadena) mascareniensis — Dubois, 1992, Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Lyon, 61: 316.

English Names

Mascarene Frog (Flower, 1933, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1933: 844; Van Dijk, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 17: 15).

Mascarene Grass Frog (Hewitt, 1937, Guide Vert. Fauna E. Cape Province, Rept. Amph. Fishes: 99; Passmore and Carruthers, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 19: 5; Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 156; Minter and Passmore, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 286 Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009, Compl. Guide Frogs S. Afr.: 312; Largen and Spawls, 2010, Amph. Rept. Ethiopia Eritrea: 172).

Broad-banded Rana (Wager, 1965, Frogs S. Afr.: 159; Passmore and Carruthers, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 19: 5; Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 156).

Broad-banded Ridged Frog (Lambiris, 1990 "1989", Monogr. Mus. Reg. Sci. Nat. Torino, 10: 112).

Mascarene Ridged Frog (Broadley, 1973, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 10: 23; Passmore and Carruthers, 1978, J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr., 19: 5; Passmore and Carruthers, 1979, S. Afr. Frogs: 156; Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 329; Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 306).

Mascarene Grassland Frog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 105).

Mascarene Rocket Frog (Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 306 [alternative name]).

Distribution

Central and western Ethiopia to Liberia and Sierra Leone and east to Kenya and south around the rain forest to Angola, northern Namibia, northern Botswana, and northeastern KwaZulu-Natal (Rep. South Africa); Madagascar; Seychelles Islands; Mascarene Islands (introduced); Nile drainage to mouth in Egypt.

Comment

Accounts provided by Schmidt and Inger, 1959, Explor. Parc Natl. Upemba, Miss. G.F. de Witte, 56: 76-85, who described Ptychadena mascareniensis hylaea. Hylaea was subsequently considered a distinct species by Lamotte, 1967, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, Ser. 2, 39: 647-656, but Perret, 1979, Bull. Soc. Neuchatel. Sci. Nat., 102: 7-17, considered Ptychadena bibroni (Hallowell, 1845) to be a West African subspecies (following Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 523) and hylaea to be a synonym of bibroni. See Poynton, 1964, Ann. Natal Mus., 17: 129, Poynton and Broadley, 1985, Ann. Natal Mus., 27: 148-149, and Lambiris, 1988, Lammergeyer, 39: 84. Perret, 1997, Bull. Soc. Neuchatel. Sci. Nat., 120: 77, discussed confusion in the literature between Ptychadena arnei and "Ptychadena bibroni". See Largen, 1997, Tropical Zool., 10: 71, for comments on misidentified Ptychadena anchietae ascribed to this species and for discussion of distribution. Rödel, 2000, Herpetofauna W. Afr., 1: 128-132, discussed the issue of difficulty of identification of species related to Ptychadena mascareniensis and provided a comparison with Ptychadena bibroni, Ptychadena pujoli, Ptychadena mascareniensis hylaea, and Ptychadena arnei. Channing, 2001, Amph. Cent. S. Afr.: 329-331, and Du Preez and Carruthers, 2009, Compl. Guide Frogs S. Afr.: 312-313, provided accounts for the southern African populations. Largen, 2001, Tropical Zool., 14: 337-338, commented on distribution. Andreone, Glaw, Nussbaum, Raxworthy, Vences, and Randrianirina, 2003, J. Nat. Hist., 37: 2119-2149, discussed the occurrence of this species on Nosy Be. Glaw and Vences, 2007, Field Guide Amph. Rept. Madagascar, Ed. 3: 98, provided a brief account for Madagascar. Lever, 2003, Naturalized Rept. Amph. World: 202, regarded the populations on Mauritius and Reunion to be introduced. Vences, Kosuch, Rödel, Channing, Glaw, and Böhme, 2004, J. Biogeograph., 31: 593-601, studied molecular phylogeography, provided a map of the range, and suggested that this nominal taxon contains at least five cryptic species: (1) the population in Madagascar (which they regarded as having arrived via over-water dispersal), the Seychelles, and Reunion; (2-3) two in West Africa; and (4-5) two in East Africa. Channing and Howell, 2006, Amph. E. Afr.: 306-308, provided an account for East Africa. Minter and Passmore, 2004, in Minter et al. (eds.), Atlas Frogs S. Afr. Lesotho and Swaziland: 286-287, provided an account for South Africa. Padial and De la Riva, 2004, Rev. Esp. Herpetol., 18: 94, provided records of this species, or one of the complex, from Mauritania. Baha El Din, 2006, Guide Rept. Amph. Egypt: 37-39, provided an account for Egypt and distinguished between it and the Delta population of Ptychadena schillukorum. Pickersgill, 2007, Frog Search: 128-131, provided an account and noted an apparently unnamed species from Arusha, Tanzania, masquerading under this name. Lötters, Wagner, Bwong, Schick, Malonza, Muchai, Wasonga, and Veith, 2007, Fieldguide Amph. Rept. Kakamega Forest: 21-22, provided an account for Ptychadena cf mascareniensis in Kenya. Jacobsen, 2009, Afr. Herp News, 47: 2-20, reported this species from east-north-central Central African Republic. Bwong, Chira, Schick, Veith, and Lötters, 2009, Salamandra, 45: 129-146, discussed the assignment of a population in western Kenya to this taxon and noted that if Ptychadena mascareniensis constitutes a species complex, then the name Rana venusta Werner, 1908, is likely the appropriate name for the northeastern population. See account, photograph, and map for Ethiopia by Largen and Spawls, 2010, Amph. Rept. Ethiopia Eritrea: 172, who noted that records for Eritrea are based on misidentifications. Mercurio, 2011, Amph. Malawi: 256-258, provided an account for Malawi. Measey, Malonza, and Muchai, 2009, Amph. Taita Hills: 38-41, provided a brief account and photo for the Taita Hills, Kenya.

External Links

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• For additional sources of information from other sites search Google
• For images search Arkive, CalPhoto Images and Google Images
• To search the NIH genetic sequence database, see GenBank
• For information aggregation from other sites and some original accounts see AmphibiaWeb report
• For further information on conservation status and distribution see the IUCN Redlist
• For related information on conservation and images as well as observation see iNaturalist;
• for a quick link to their maps see iNaturalist KML