A Review of West African Spotted Kassina, Including a Description of Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. (Amphibia: Anura: Hyperoliidae)

Based on museum specimens, field records, and morphological, acoustical, and geographical analyses, we resurrect the species status of Kassina arboricola Perret, 1985 and redefine Kassina cochranae (Loveridge, 1941). Additionally, we describe Kassina schioetzi sp. nov., a hitherto overlooked species. This species differs from K. cochranae and K. arboricola in several morphological features, especially the shape of the male gular flap, and its very short, tonal advertisement call. All three species are associated with forest habitats. Kassina schioetzi lives in wooded parts of the Guinea savanna of Ivory Coast and a single mountainous locality in eastern Guinea. Kassina cochranae occurs from western Ivory Coast to eastern Sierra Leone; K. arboricola occurs from Ghana to western Ivory Coast. At two localities, K. schioetzi occurs in syntopy with K. arboricola, and at another locality with K. cochranae. A key to all West African Kassina species is provided.

Fig. 1.

(A) Kassina arboricola male from Mont Péko National Park, Ivory Coast; (B) Kassina cochranae from Liberia (USNM 109569, syntype, courtesy of G. Zug); (C) Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. from Mont Péko National Park, Ivory Coast (SMNS 09702, paratype, drawing by Djobely); (D) Amplectant K. schioetzi sp. nov. pair from Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast; (E) Ventral sides of 1 = K. cochranae (ZMUC R075614), 2 = K. schioetzi sp. nov. (MHNG 1210.10, paratype), 3 = K. arboricola (MHNG 2130.99, paratype), note shape of gular flap, length of extremities and coloration of throat, belly and thighs

Fig. 4.

Sonogram and waveform of advertisement calls of West African spotted Kassina. (a) Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. from the Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast; (b) K. schioetzi sp. nov. from Mont Péko National Park, Ivory Coast; (c) Kassina arboricola from Mont Péko National Park, Ivory Coast; (d) Kassina cochranae from Danané, Ivory Coast; (e) Kassina decorata from Cameroon

Fig. 3.

Distribution of West African spotted Kassina's; □ = Kassina cochranae; ♦ = Kassina maculata (Parker, 1931), synonym of K. cochranae; ○ = Kassina arboricola, ▵ = Kassina schioetzi sp. nov.; filled symbols represent type localities; arrows mark localities were K. schioetzi sp. nov. occurred in syntopy with K. cochranae (Mont Nimba) and K. arboricola (Mont Péko).

Fig. 5.

(A) Scatter diagram of advertisement call parameters frequency modulation and call duration. Black circles show Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. (Comoé) and Kassina arboricola (Mont Péko), hatched circles K. schioetzi sp. nov. (Mont Péko) and the white circle Kassina cochranae (Danané); (B) Scatter diagram of advertisement call parameters number of pulses and call duration. Black circles show K. schioetzi sp. nov. (Comoé) and K. arboricola (Mont Péko), hatched circles K. schioetzi sp. nov. (Mont Péko) and the white circle K. cochranae (Danané).

Fig. 2.

Principal component analysis with morphological (all standardized to SVL) and color parameters of West African spotted Kassina; considered were HW/SVL, FT/SVL, LA/SVL, ZF/SVL, SB, SO, SD (divided through maximum spot count), GFS, GFC, VC (categorized, divided through 6), PVS; only specimens with complete data sets taken into consideration; a = Kassina arboricola (n = 14), c = Kassina cochranae (n = 140), s = Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. (n = 13); for other abbreviations see the material and methods section; compare Table 4.

Fig. 6.

Scatter diagram of advertisement call parameters call shape and low frequency peak. Black circles show Kassina schioetzi sp. nov. (Comoé) and Kassina decorata, hatched circles K. schioetzi sp. nov. (Mont Péko), half filled circles Kassina arboricola (Mont Péko) and the white circle Kassina cochranae (Danané).

Received: 23 Apr 2001

Accepted: 05 Jan 2002