Boophis boppa Hutter, Lambert, Cobb, Andriampenomanana & Vences, 2015
Boppa's Bright-eyed treefrog; Malagasy: Fity maso hazo Sahona ny Boppa Subgenus: Boophis | family: Mantellidae subfamily: Boophinae genus: Boophis |
Species Description: Hutter CR, Lambert SM, Cobb KA, Andriampenomanana ZF, Vences M 2015 A new species of bright-eyed treefrog (Mantellidae) from Madagascar, with comments on call evolution and patterns of syntopy in the Boophis ankaratra complex. Zootaxa 4034:531-555. |
|
|
Description Diagnosis: Boophis boppa is in the Boophis ankaratra complex that, as of 2015, includes: B. ankaratra, B. haingana, B. maidana, B. schuboeae, and B. boppa. The five are distinguished from other sub-clades because they all lack white-spotted patterns along their backs. Boophis boppa can be distinguished from the other four species in the B. ankaratra complex as B. boppa is the only one to still have some spotting on its back; it has yellow to white spots along its back side. Outside of this patterning difference, the species can be identified mostly by differences in call (Hutter et al. 2015). Coloration: In life, B. boppa has lime green dorsal coloration with white to yellow flecks and dark brown spots. The limbs are translucent. The flanks and ventral surface of the abdomen are transparent, showing the pale yellow or white peritoneum. The area around the groin is turquoise. The toe discs have no coloration. It has brightly colored eyes that typically have white or pale yellow edges, with brown or rust colored irises that can be used as diagnostic characteristics. When in preservative (70% ethanol), the background color fades to a uniform cream-yellow in both body and eye color. There are still dark pigments around the nostrils and in spots on the dorsum and eyelids (Hutter et al. 2015). Variation: There is variation in the dorsal color of the species, it can be lime to light lime green, and the spotting on the back can be either white or yellow, occasionally they may also be brown and extend to the edges of the back. There is also variation in the eye coloration, they can have either brown/rust, orange, or light speckled brown colored irises that can vary in intensity (Hutter et al. 2015). Distribution and Habitat Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors Males call from the upper surfaces of leaves at a height of 2 – 4 m from the ground with groan like notes that are frequently made in a slow-pace succession. Boophis boppa is distinct in that the males have the longest observed note duration and longest intervals between call notes of species in the group Boophis. At temperatures of 16.9 – 18.2 °C, there were 5 – 16 strongly pulsed notes with the amplitude building until the peak is reached about half-way through the note series at 2929 – 3531 Hz. The dominate frequency 2500 – 2594 Hz, but frequencies can reach an upper limit of 3001 – 3431 Hz. The pulse rate was 135 – 263 pulses/second, leading to a note duration of 379 – 526 ms. Inter-note intervals lasts 989 – 1659 ms. The first harmonic frequency of the call ranges from 5768 – 6384 Hz (Hutter et al. 2015). Sexual maturity was determined by the presence of eggs in females, females are oviparous. Preferred habitat for egg-laying and rearing, if it occurs, as well as for larval development is unknown (Hutter et al. 2015). Trends and Threats Possible reasons for amphibian decline General habitat alteration and loss Comments Sympatric divergence appears to have occurred between B. boppa and the two other species found in the same range, B. ankaratra and B. schuboeae, due to the lack of overlap in call length. Morphological examinations fail to distinguish these three species (Hutter et al. 2015). The species was named after Nicholas Jay Pritzker, who was a board member of Conservation International and a friend to many in the organization. His children and grandchildren referred to him as ‘Boppa’ as a nickname, so the species was named such in his honor.
References
Hutter, C. R., Lambert, S. M., Cobb, K. A., Andriampenomanana, Z., Vences, M. (2015). "A new species of bright-eyed tree frog (Mantellidae) from Madagascar, with comments on call evolution and patterns of syntopy in the Boophis ankaratra complex." , 4034(3), 531-555. [link] IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2020). “Boophis boppa (amended version of 2016 assessment).” The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T86466824A176088483. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T86466824A176088483.en Originally submitted by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (2021-06-05) Description by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (updated 2021-06-05)
Distribution by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (updated 2021-06-05)
Life history by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (updated 2021-06-05)
Trends and threats by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (updated 2021-06-05)
Comments by: Shea Miller, Cailan Ackerman, Tesa Blowey (updated 2021-06-05)
Edited by: Ann T. Chang (2021-06-05) Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2021 Boophis boppa: Boppa's Bright-eyed treefrog; Malagasy: Fity maso hazo Sahona ny Boppa <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/8391> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 29, 2024.
Feedback or comments about this page.
Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 29 Dec 2024. AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use. |