Description
A small, rather compact ranid with a moderately pointed snout. Males reach 26–29 mm (SVL), females 26–33 mm. The length of the head surpasses its width. The distance between nostrils is larger than the distance nostril-snout tip. The distance from the eye to the nostril is shorter than the eye diameter. The tympanum reaches 0.66–0.75 of the eye diameter. Males with paired lateral vocal sacs whose slits stretch diagonally from the corners of the mouth below the bases of the forearms. Five (original description: four) pairs of longitudinal ridges on the back. Two of these pairs start at the posterior border of the eye, stretching almost to the vent. The laterad, following pair emerges at the center of the body and ends just before the groin. The dorsolateral ridges stretch from the posterior border of the eye to the groin. Another pair of short lateral ridges starts far behind the tympanum. The skin between the ridges is feebly granulated. Some warts are scattered on the eyelids and on the flanks. The ventral skin is smooth. The legs are long and slender, the thighs shorter than the shanks; the latter reach 0.66 of the SVL. A well-defined inner metatarsal tubercle is present, but there is no outer metatarsal tubercle. A well-defined tarsal fold is present. Webbing formula: 1 (0.5); 2 i/e (0.75–0.25); 3 i/e (2–1); 4 i/e (2); 5 (0.5) (Guibé & Lamotte 1953, 1957).
Coloration: In alcohol, the basic color is brown. It is occasionally interrupted by square or rounded dark patches. A light vertebral line may be present. The lateral ridges are light colored (Guibé & Lamotte 1958a). The canthus and the tympanum region are dark brown, the upper lip is white. A dark interorbital line is present. On the outer part of the thighs, a dark line underlined by a lighter one stretches from the groin to the knee. Black bars are discernible on the anterior part of the thighs. According to Guibé & Lamotte (1953) the posterior side of the thighs is mottled, showing a tendency to form a longitudinal mottled pattern limited by a brown line at its lower border. According to Guibé & Lamotte (1958a) the outer parts of the thighs are vaguely light colored. Black bars are present on the shanks and the feet. The venter is white, the lower lip dark.
Voice: Unknown.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Range: This species does not occur at Comoé National Park. It was recorded from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast (Guibé & Lamotte 1953, Lamotte 1971, 1998, Frost 1985).
Habitats: Savanna (Guibé & Lamotte 1953, Schiøtz 1967)

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Spawn: Unknown
Tadpoles: The dark ovoid tadpole has a slightly pointed snout. Both the tail fin and the tail axis are spotted. The dorsal part of the tail fin is somewhat higher than the ventral part, but the fin converges evenly towards the tip. The large ventromedian anal tube is very conspicuous. Both the powerful lower beak and the more slender upper beak are serrated. The keratodont formula is 1 // 2, rarely 1 // 1+1 / 1. The double lateral and caudal rows of papillae form multiple rows at the corners of the mouth. Tadpoles measuring 19–20 mm (TL) already had developing hind legs (Lamotte et al. 1958). According to Guibe & Lamotte (1958a), the papillae preceding the corners of the mouth form a single row.
Biology: At Mt. Nimba, these frogs inhabit shallow puddles on laterite soils from March till October (Guibé & Lamotte 1953, 1957, 1958a).

Comments
This account was taken from Rödel, M.-O. (2000), Herpetofauna of West Africa vol. I. Amphibians of the West African Savanna, with kind permission from Edition Chimaira publishers, Frankfurt am Main.
For references in the text, see here

References

Rödel, M. O. (2000). Herpetofauna of West Africa, Vol. I. Amphibians of the West African Savanna. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, Germany.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2002 Ptychadena submascareniensis <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4957> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 23, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 23 Nov 2024.

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