hear call (193.5K MP3 file)

	hear Fonozoo call
[call details here]

Description
30-40 mm. Tympanum distinct, 2/5-1/2 of eye diameter. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches the tympanum or the eye. Toe 3 at least slightly longer than toe 5. Body flattened, especially in specimens from north-eastern Madagascar. Skin on the back smooth. Dorsum light brown to beige, often with a vertebral line. Venter whitish (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Similar species: Several other Platypelis and Cophyla phyllodactyla also can have a vertebral line but most of these are smaller and do not usually live in Pandanus (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (1 records).

Located in Ambolokopatrika (Andranomadio, Antsinjorano), Ambahaka forest, Ambatambe, An’Ala, Andasibe, Andrambovato, Andringitra (Iantara river, Sahavatoy river), Anjanaharibe-Sud, Ankeniheny, Anosibe, Antsihanaka, Fenoarivo, Ivohibe, Mahavelona, Mandriandry forest, Marojejy (Camp Simpona, Amdampimbazaha cascade, Antranohofa), Ranomafana (Ranomena, Vatoharanana), Tampolo (Fenoarivo), Tsararano, Vinanitelo, Vohiparara (Glaw and Vences 2007). Observed at 400-1200m asl (Andreone et. al 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: Usually found in Pandanus plants where they probably reproduce in the leaf axils. Tadpoles unknown (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Calls: A single and loud frequency-modulated whistle repeated after regular intervals (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Trends and Threats
Listed as least concern because of its wide distribution, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category (Andreone et. al 2008).

Though it occurs in many protected areas, its forest habitat is receding due to subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, charcoal manufacture, and invasive spread of eucalyptus, livestock grazing and expanding human settlements. It might also be affected by the collection of Pandanus, which is used for the roofs of huts (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

Comments
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007) and Andreone et. al (2008).

References

Andreone, F., Vallan, D., and Nussbaum, R. (2008). Platypelis tuberifera. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 22 April 2009.

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 2010 Platypelis tuberifera <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/2343> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Mar 28, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 28 Mar 2025.

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