hear call (160.9K MP3 file)

	hear Fonozoo call
[call details here]

Description
F 35-36 mm, M distinctly smaller. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches the eye. Hand with a trace of webbing, foot webbing 1(0), 2i(1), 2e(0), 3i(1.5), 3e(0), 4i/e(2), 5(0.5). Dorsal skin smooth. Males with a weakly distensible single subgular vocal sac. Dorsally yellowish or dark brown, typically with a white stripe along the upper lip. Ventral surface of hindlimbs, thighs, and webbing red. Throat in males and females with a typical dark-light marbling.

Similar species: Several other species such as B. miniatus, B. picturatus and B. majori occur in the same region and have reddish colour on their limbs as well. The two undescribed following species are most similar to B. rhodoscelis and morphological characters for their distinction still need to be identified.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Ambohimitombo, Andasibe, Andrangoloaka, Angavokely, Ankafana, Antananarivo, Antratrabe, Farihimazava, Moramanga, Ranomafana, Ranomafanakely, Tsarafidy. Observed at elevations from 900 to 1500m. It inhabits rainforest and open grassland close to forest fragments (Andreone et al. 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Calls: A long and fast series of unharmonious notes that gets more intense as the call progresses. Reminds the call of Boophis elenae but is less intense and at higher frequency. We observed males in rainforest bordering a large exposed swampy area, calling at night from low and hidden perches, 10-50 cm high.

Breeding occurs in streams and brooks (Andreone et al. 2008).

Trends and Threats
Near Threatened: it relies on streams in montane habitats, and so its area of occupancy is probably not much greater than 2,000 km², and the extent and quality of its habitat is declining, thus making the species close to qualifying for vulnerable. It occurs in Parc National de Ranomafana, and probably in several other protected areas, including those near Andasibe (Andreone et al. 2008).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Urbanization
Subtle changes to necessary specialized habitat
Habitat fragmentation
Predators (natural or introduced)

Comments
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007).

References

Andreone, F., Vences, M., and Vallan, D. (2008). Boophis rhodoscelis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 07 April 2009.

Glaw, F. and Vences, M. (1994). Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. M. Vences and F. Glaw Verlags GbR., Köln.

Glaw, F., and Vences, M. (2007). Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Third Edition. Vences and Glaw Verlag, Köln.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2009 Boophis rhodoscelis <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4360> 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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