Description
A rather large forest-dwelling Leptopelis (males 38-43 mm, females 71 mm) from West Africa. Phase A green, uniform or with minute white spots. Phase B, dorsum brown with a darker n-shaped pattern, in some cases as a triangle with the apex pointing forward. Among the West African forms L. occidentalis is larger and better-webbed than L. hyloides (and the doubtful L. bequaerti), smaller and less webbed than L. macrotis.

This form is similar to the Cameronese L. boulengeri, and may be related. It differs in its pattern, L. boulengeri having a pointed dark apex in most specimens, occidentalis rarely so, and by its very different voice. A few specimens have been collected in western Nigeria. It cannot be decided whether they belong to this species or to boulengeri.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

A forest species, frequently heard and apparently widely distributed in West Africa, but difficult to collect. The species is known from Liberia to Ghana, possibly to Nigeria.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Quite often a small number of males could be heard calling together rather high up in bushes and trees. Several were heard calling from large clumps of bamboo. The voice is a rather soft "düt" with a very peculiar acoustical quality. The sonogram shows a voice with a large number of harmonics about 300 cps. apart.

Comments
This account was taken from "Treefrogs of Africa" by Arne Schiøtz with kind permission from Edition Chimaira publishers, Frankfurt am Main.

References

Schiøtz, A. (1999). Treefrogs of Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Leptopelis occidentalis <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3664> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 22, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 22 Nov 2024.

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