Description
M 45 mm, F 47 mm. Tympanum distinct, about 1/2 of eye diameter. Rather long legs: tibiotarsal articulation reaches the eye or the nostril. Finger 2 slightly shorter than finger 4. Skin on the back smooth. Back brownish or beige with dark brown markings. Temporal region black, upper lip beige. Hindlimbs with brown bands. Upper side of the thighs and inguinal region with a characteristic colouration: blackish with distinct large white circular markings (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Similar species: R. alluaudi has shorter hindlimbs (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Occurs in Ambolokopatrika, Anjanaharibe, Montagne d’ Ambre, Tsaratanana (Antsahamanara campsite) (Glaw and Vences 2007) at 300-1,000m asl (Nussbaum et. al 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: Apparently less hidden than most other Rhombophryne and Plethodontohyla species. In the rainy season, several adult specimens were found active on the forest floor during the day. Diurnal colubrid snakes (Liopholidophis) appear to be important predators of this species (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Trends and Threats
Species is listed as least concern in view 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. Though it occurs in many protected areas, a major threat is a receding forest habitat due to subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, charcoal manufacture, and invasive spread of eucalyptus, livestock grazing and expanding human settlements (Nussbaum 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

Comments
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007) and Nussbaum et. al (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., Raxworthy, C., and Andreone, F. (2008). Rhombophryne laevipes. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 15 April 2009.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2010 Rhombophryne laevipes <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/2352> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 26, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 26 Nov 2024.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.