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Description

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A small Hyperolius (males 20–27 mm, females 23–34 mm) from the central parts of Africa. Phase J apple green with a light triangle on the snout and broad silverish dorsolateral stripes. Phase F dense silverish grey with minute black spots. Ventrum yellow. This is the only central African Hyperolius where phase J always has a light triangle on the snout. This species undergoes metachrosis. Coloration by night: Phase J iron red including the lighter canthal triangle and the dorsolateral lines. The ground colour of phase F is also reddish.The species shows some geographical variation, and has been split into two subspecies, which, however, may not reflect the considerable variation within the species:H. o. ocellatus from Cameroun west of the Sanaga river. Some males have the phase F coloration. Female phase with small spots, not ocellated, and with marbled or spotted ventrum.H. o. purpurescens Laurent 1943. East and south of Sanaga river. All males with light triangle on snout and dorsolateral lines (phase J). Females with larger, fewer spots on blue-green background and ventral surfaces unspotted.This species shows developmental changes in patterning, with two phases, J (juveniles and many mature males) and F (mature females and some mature males). All newly metamorphosed individuals are phase J, which is normally brownish to green with paired light dorsolateral lines, or an hourglass pattern. All females, and some males, develop into phase F before the first breeding season. Phase F is often colorful and variable, showing the diagnostic color characteristics for the species or subspecies. Either well-defined morphs may be present, or graded variation. This account was taken from "Treefrogs of Africa" by Arne Schiøtz with kind permission from Edition Chimaira (http://www.chimaira.de/) publishers, Frankfurt am Main.
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Distribution and Habitat

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An abundant and widely distributed bushland form from forested areas in south-eastern Nigeria east of Cross River, Cameroun, Fernando Po, Gabon, Rep. Congo, Angola and R. D. Congo to Kivu.
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Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors

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Breeding takes place in small swamps in the forest. The voice is a fine twittering, consisting of a small number of figures with an indistinct frequency-intensity maximum at about 3800–4000 cps.
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Hyperolius ocellatus

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Hyperolius ocellatus is a species of tropical West African frog in the family Hyperoliidae, that is split into the subspecies H. o. ocellatus and H. o. purpurescens. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda, and possibly Rwanda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, intermittent freshwater marshes, freshwater springs, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and canals and ditches.

Distribution and habitat

Hyperolius ocellatus ocellatus is from areas west of the Sanaga River in Cameroon, and H. o. purpurescens is found south and east of the river.[2] Due to the high population of the species and the extended area in which it can be found, the International Union for Conservation of Nature have classed Hyperolius ocellatus as Least Concern, as its population is thought to be stable. It is unlikely that the population is declining fast enough for the species to be classed as threatened. At the highest elevations, it is found at 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) above sea level.[1]

Description

The species is one of the smallest in the genus Hyperolius, with females being the larger gender at 23 to 34 millimetres (0.91 to 1.34 inches) and males being 20 to 27 millimetres (0.79 to 1.06 in). The abdomen is yellow. Juveniles are green with a faint triangle on their snout with silver stripes, and mature females along with some mature males are silver-grey with black spots. Mature females and juveniles show a reddish ground colour.[2] H. o. ocellatus specimens are sometimes silver-grey with a yellow ventrum and small black spots, and females have small unocellated spots. H. o. purpurescens male specimens have dorsolateral lines, and a faint triangle on their snout. Females have fewer spots and are larger, green-blue in colour, and have no spots on their ventrum.[2] The frogs breed in small forest swamps,[2] small pools and streams. It is found in freshwater and terrestrial systems, and in many protected areas.[1]

Taxonomy

It was first described by Albert Günther in 1858,[1] and synonyms include Hyperolius guttatus, Rappia ocellata, Rappia guttata, among others.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Hyperolius ocellatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T56174A18380331. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T56174A18380331.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Hyperolius ocellatus". AmphibiaWeb. 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
  3. ^ "Hyperolius ocellatus | AFRICAN AMPHIBIANS LIFEDESK". Africanamphibians.lifedesks.org. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
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Hyperolius ocellatus: Brief Summary

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Hyperolius ocellatus is a species of tropical West African frog in the family Hyperoliidae, that is split into the subspecies H. o. ocellatus and H. o. purpurescens. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda, and possibly Rwanda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, intermittent freshwater marshes, freshwater springs, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and canals and ditches.

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