Description
A large, grey Kassina with rounded or oblong black spots on dorsum rather than stripes (Schiøtz 1999). Unspotted gray specimens also have been found (Schiøtz 1999). Kassina somalica has smaller digital discs and a more variable dorsal pattern than K. maculifer (Largen 2001). The dorsal pattern tends to be more similar to K. senegalensis (Largen 2001).

Tadpoles reach up to 80 mm. The body is dark, with reddish or golden markings, and a high tail fin (Schiøtz 1999). The tooth formula is 1/1+1,1 (Schiøtz 1999, in account for K. senegalensis).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, United Republic of

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

From Singida in northern Tanzania through Tsavo National Park in Kenya to eastern and southern Ethiopia and Somalia, in very dry savanna (Schiøtz 1999). Usually occurring below 1500 m (Drewes and Roth 1981).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
This species is a widely distributed lowland species (Drewes and Roth 1981). Eggs are oviposited underwater as clutches of 260-400 eggs, attached to vegetation (Schiøtz 1999, in account for K. senegalensis).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

Intensified agriculture or grazing
Urbanization

Comments
Sometimes regarded as a subspecies of K. senegalensis (e.g. Scortecci 1932; Drewes and Roth 1981; Schiøtz 1999). Schiøtz (1999) comments that K. somalica is both distinctive and geographically well-defined.

References

Drewes, R. C. and Roth, B. (1981). ''Snail-eating frogs from the Ethiopian highlands: a new anuran specialization.'' Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 72(3), 267-287.

Largen, M. J. (2001). ''Catalogue of the amphibians of Ethiopia, including a key for their identification.'' Tropical Zoology, 14, 307-402.

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

Scortecci, G. (1932). ''Nuove specie di anfibi e rettili della Somalia italiana.'' Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali, e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Milano, 71, 264-269.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Kassina somalica <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3695> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Oct 11, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 11 Oct 2024.

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