Werneria iboundji
Creators: name: Rödel, Mark-Oliver
name: Schmitz, Andreas
name: Pauwels, Olivier S. G.
name: Böhme, Wolfgang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Bufonidae
Werneria
Werneria iboundji

description: Werneria iboundji nov. sp.
Figs. 1 a, 2a, 3a, 4a
Holotype.— IRSNB 1929, adult female, Ogooué­Lolo province, department of Offoué­ Onoy, Massif du Chaillu, east flank of Mt. Iboundji, S 1°8'42'', E 11°46'48'', 560 m a.s.l., in the large waterfall, Gabon, 21.IX.2001, O.S.G. Pauwels.
Paratypes.— ZFMK 81550, juvenile, other data as holotype.
Diagnosis.— A medium sized, slender Werneria with truncate snout and smooth skin; distinct but very narrow dorsolateral line, otherwise uniform dark brown dorsum; flanks uniform black; venter with large clear spots, restricted to median line on lower parts of hind legs; toes fully webbed. W. iboundji nov. sp. is similar to W. mertensiana, W. preussi and W. submontana nov. sp. It differs from all these species by the complete webbing of the feet, the more slender body and longer and thinner hind legs. From W. mertensiana and W. submontana it further differs by lacking black bars on the thighs and lower legs, and the much thinner dorsolateral line. In contrast to W. submontana the flanks are uniform black. From W. preussi, W. tandyi and W. bambutensis it differs by its ventral coloration. With W. bambutensis it shares fully webbed toes, but may also be easily distinguished by its general appearance and coloration. At present it is also geographically well­separated from all other Werneria species.
Description of the holotype.— The holotype is an adult female with a slender body; body lines almost parallel (Fig. 1 a); short, truncate snout; 37.7 mm SVL; head width 10.8 mm, eye diameter 4.5 mm; interorbital distance 4.1 mm; naris closer to snout tip (2.6 mm) than to eye (3.2 mm); small warts at angle of mouth (Fig. 4 a), otherwise skin smooth; narrow (0.7 mm at mid­body) yellowish white dorsolateral lines that extend from anterior part of eyelid to groin; back uniform dark brown to black; flanks uniform black; basic colour of venter dark brown to black; posterior venter with large (> 4 mm) yellowish spots; breast and throat uniform dark reddish brown (Fig. 2 a); dorsal surfaces of extremities with same coloration as back, no black bars on thighs and lower leg; ventral surfaces of thighs and lower leg with large yellowish spots along median line, no such spots at sides of extremities; long and slender hind legs, femur length 15.9 mm, tibia 16.1 mm, foot (incl. longest toe) 24.6 mm; toes completely webbed (Fig. 3 a).
In life the background colour of the eye was dark golden. The black, horizontally elliptic pupil, was encircled by an orange ring. The dorsum was dark brown, separated from the black flanks by a white dorsolateral line. The throat, belly and underside of arms and legs were black with white spots.
Var ia t io n.— The only other known specimen is a juvenile from the type locality, 16.3 mm SVL; head width 5.7 mm, eye diameter 2.9 mm; interorbital distance 2.7 mm; nostril to snout tip (1.1 mm), nostril to eye (1.2 mm); femur length 7.7 mm, tibia 6.6 mm, foot incl. longest toe 11.4 mm; toes also completely webbed; clear spots also on breast and throat, other coloration as holotype.
Natural history.— Preliminary botanical investigations proved Mt. Iboundji to harbour a submontane forest type (Stévart et al. 2004). The holotype and the paratype were caught by day, between rocks in water at the large waterfall of Mt. Iboundji (Fig. 12). The stomach of the holotype contained remains of small ants and ground beetles (Carabidae). Numerous, small, yellow ovarian eggs were present (as the eggs were shrunken and adherent due to preservation, counts and measures are not given). During two visits at the type locality, a total of 20 man­hours were searched for Werneria, without detecting more than the two type specimens. Surveys at a second waterfall on Mt. Iboundji, and at many other waterfalls in Gabon, likewise revealed no further Werneria specimens (O.S.G. Pauwels unpubl. data).
Ethnozoology.— The vernacular name, recorded by Boussimbi inhabitants, in Massango language was mboungui. This frog is said to be very dangerous (”dogs die when they lick it”; “If a man approaches a large specimen, and if this specimen blows, the man can die”).
Distribution.— Only known from type locality (Fig. 5).
Etymology.— The species is named after the type locality, Mt. Iboundji, to further highlight the importance of this mountain as an outstanding Central African biodiversity hotspot. The specific epithet is treated as a noun in apposition.
description: Published as part of Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Schmitz, Andreas, Pauwels, Olivier S. G. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2004, Revision of the genus Werneria Poche, 1903, including the descriptions of two new species from Cameroon and Gabon (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae), pp. 1-28 in Zootaxa 720 on pages 20-22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.158599