Description
A largely unknown species. Only the female holotype is reliably known (30 mm SVL). In preservative brown with irregular dark markings. Skin smooth. Tympanum distinct, 3/5 of eye diameter. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches the tympanum. Toe 3 longer than toe 5. Specimens from Voloina may belong to this species but may also be an undescribed species.
Similar species: Other Platypelis (Glaw and Vences 2007).
Distribution and Habitat
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar
Type locality is East Betsileo. Specimens from Voloina have been tentatively assigned to this species (Glaw and Vences 2007). Because of this uncertainty, no range map can be prepared for this species (Nussbaum and Raxworthy 2008).Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: Largely unknown. At Voloina, calling males at night on trees in rainforest, up to 3m high (Glaw and Vences 2007). It is presumably an arboreal rainforest species that breeds in tree holes and bamboo (Nussbaum and Raxworthy 2008). Trends and Threats
Listed as data deficient because of continuing doubts as to its taxonomic status as well as absence of information on its extent of occurrence, status and ecological requirements. There are no known threats or conservation actions (Nussbaum and Raxworthy 2008). Comments
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007) and Nussbaum and Raxworthy (2008).
References
Glaw, F., and Vences, M. (2007). Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Third Edition. Vences and Glaw Verlag, Köln.
Nussbaum, R. and Raxworthy, C. (2008). Platypelis cowanii. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 22 April 2009.
Written by Miguel Vences and Frank Glaw (m.vences AT tu-bs.de), Assistant Professor and Curator of Vertebrates at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Zoological Museum at the University of Amsterdam
First submitted 2003-02-25
Edited by Catherine Aguilar (2010-07-18)
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on
amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2013. Berkeley, California:
AmphibiaWeb.
Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/.
(Accessed: May 21, 2013).
AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.
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