Tomopterna banhinensis, Channing & Pietersen & Dawood, 2025

Tomopterna banhinensis sp. nov.

Mozambique Sand Frog

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:71490F4F-381C-4765-AB62-82695545CFE1

Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 .

Holotype. A male, TM85588 , field number BNP016 ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ), collected 26 November 2007 by Errol W. Pietersen in Banhine National Park , Mozambique, on the edge of a dry wetland (22.6328° S, 33.2673° E). GoogleMaps

Paratypes (eight specimens). A female, TM85589 , from Fish Eagle Research Camp , Banhine National Park, Mozambique, collected 26 November 2007 . Three males and four females, TM85562 – TM85568 , from the same locality, collected 7 April 2007 .

Additional material (two specimens in poor condition).Adult males, PEM A15572 View Materials and PEM A15573 View Materials , collected 20 December 1991 by Alan Channing   GoogleMaps , from outside Beira, Mozambique (19.7793° S, 34.8299° E).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to all other species of sand frogs in morphology and burrowing behaviour. It has an advertisement call of a rapidly-repeated series of high-pitched notes, the most common type of vocalisation in sand frogs. We assign it to the genus Tomopterna based on the presence of teeth on the maxilla, the inner metatarsal tubercle strongly flanged, the outer metatarsals bound into the sole, and the presence of vomerine teeth, all characters that distinguish the genus Tomopterna ( Poynton 1964) and the similarity of 16S rRNA sequences.

The new species has single subarticular tubercles under the toes, distinguishing it from those with divided tubercles: T. ahli , T. branchi , T. delalandii , T. elegans , T. gallmanni , T. kachowskii , T. krugerensis , T. luganga , T. marmorata , T. monticola , T. tandyi , T. tuberculosa and T. wambensis . It has more than three phalanges of the fourth toe free of web, distinguishing it from those with more webbing: T. cryptotis , T. elegans , T. gallmanni , T. luganga , T. marmorata , T. milletihorsini , T. monticola , T. tandyi and T. wambensis . There is a continuous row of glands below the tympanum, distinguishing it from T. branchi , T. delalandii and T. marmorata which have a row of isolated glands, and T. luganga , T. milletihorsini , T. monticola , and T. wambensis which have interrupted rows of glands. This feature is variable in T. elegans , T. gallmanni , T. kachowskii , T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa . The tympanum is distinct, distinguishing it from those with a hidden tympanum: T. adiastola , T. cryptotis , T. milletihorsoni and T. tandyi . The nostrils are closer to the snout tip than to the eyes, distinguishing it from T. adiastola , T. branchi , T. cryptotis , T. gallmanni , T. marmorata , T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa . The tympanum is round, distinguishing it from those species where the tympanum is not visible or is vertically elliptical: T. adiastola , T. delalandii , T. gallmanni , T. krugerensis , T. luganga , T. milletihorsini , T. monticola , and T. tandyi . The tympanum is variable in T. cryptotis , T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa . The ventral surface is smooth, distinguishing it from the granular ventral surfaces of T. kachowskii , T. krugerensis and T. tandyi . The back is smooth or has small warts, distinguishing it from T. gallmanni , T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa , which have prominent dorsal tubercles.

The advertisement call consists of a rapidly-repeated series of high-pitched notes, distinguishing it from the knocking call of T. krugerensis and T. gallmanni and the tapping call of T. tuberculosa and T. pulchra . It can be distinguished from species with a higher emphasised frequency: T. adiastola , T. ahli , T. branchi , T. cryptotis , T. marmorata , T. natalensis , and T. wambensis . Tomopterna luganga has a much lower emphasised frequency. The emphasised frequency and the note rate of T. banhinensis sp. nov. may overlap with that of T. delalandii and T. tandyi , but these species do not occur with the Mozambique taxon ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ).

Description of holotype. A male ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ) SVL 43.3 mm; the body is robust; head short (HL/SVL 0.38, HW/ SVL 0.42), not wider than trunk, not longer than wide (HL/HW 0.92); snout short (SL/HL 0.34), rounded in dorsal view, truncated in profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, narrow (SL/IND 1.4); canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region slightly concave; nostrils situated on slight projections, about in the middle of the snout (END/SL 0.46); eyes directed anterolaterally, slightly protruding, relatively small (ED/HL 0.34); eye diameter subequal to snout length (ED/SL 1.02); interorbital distance is less than upper eyelid length (IOS/EL 0.57), and nearly equal to internarial distance (IOS/IND 0.98); internarial distance greater than half eye diameter (IOS/ED 0.68); vomerine teeth inconspicuous; tympanum visible, smaller than eye diameter (TYM/ED 0.39); a continuous row of glands below tympanum; upper jaw without dentition; choanae small, round, vomerine teeth represented by a roughened protrusion; tongue notched posteriorly, 6.3 mm at widest part; median lingual processes present; vocal sac single, darkly pigmented anteriorly; dorsal surfaces of head, trunk and limbs smooth with rounded or elongated warts; ventral surface of limbs, gular and abdomen smooth. Arms slender; hand moderately large (HND/SVL 0.22); tips of fingers not enlarged into discs; relative length of fingers: IV <II <I <III; subarticular tubercles single and distinct, basal tubercles double with one on fingers I, II and IV, and two on finger III; fingers without webbing; thenar tubercle distinct; metacarpals with supernumerary tubercles; pale nuptial pads present on upper surface of fingers I and II.

Hind limbs stout, tarsal tubercle present as a small raised area; crus short (CRU/SVL 0.38); heels not reaching each other when knees are flexed and thighs are held at right angle to body; foot longer than crus (CRU/FOT 0.89); relative length of toes: I<II<V<III<IV; toes without expanded discs; subarticular tubercles single: one on toe I and II, two on toe III, three on toe IV and two on toe V; pedal webbing formula I 1–2 II 1–2.5 III 1–3 IV 3.9–1 V; thin margin of webbing extending to tips; inner metatarsal tubercle prominent and shovel-shaped, continuing as a tarsal ridge, larger than eye diameter (IMT/ED 0.58); outer metatarsal tubercle present as a small white bump.

Colour in life. The dorsal pattern of the holotype consists of olive-green patches with brown warts with thin black margins on a pale grey background ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). A thin pale vertebral stripe is present. There is no pale transverse bar between the eyes, but a darker marking which tapers to the rear. The iris is pale golden with dark veins. Small tubercles are scattered over the back and sides. The flanks have irregular dark and white marbling, with a weakly defined pale band extending diagonally from behind the eye to the lower posterior flanks. The upper surfaces of the limbs are grey, with green or darker brown blotches, but indistinct transverse bars. The venter is white with a black throat.

Colour in preservative. The pattern is clearly visible as a darker brown on a paler brown background, after 15 years in 70% ethanol.

Paratype variation. The measurements of the holotype and paratypes are shown in Table 4 View TABLE 4 . The body proportions of the holotype and paratypes are given in Table 5 View TABLE 5 . Body proportions of males and females overlap in our sample size.

The dorsal pattern is variable, but always with darker blotches on a pale background. One of the specimens from Beira (PEM A15572) shows brown patches on a pale grey background, with brown warts ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). It has a distinct pale bar between the eyes, and dark cross bars on the limbs. In one specimen the background colour has a greenish tinge. In life this specimen was light metallic green, later developing pale blue sides as the green dorsal sheen faded. The glandular fold running from below the eye to the angle of the jaw may be white to partially brown. Two of the paratypes had very faded blotches with white warts.

Distribution. This species is presently only known from Banhine National Park, northern Gaza Province and Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Photographs of sand frogs from Gorongoza National Park show frogs that look very similar to the new species, but await genetic confirmation.

Tomopterna banhinensis sp. nov. is currently only known from two widely separated localities. It is likely to be more widespread than these current records suggest, occurring widely across the Mozambique plain, possibly including extreme south-eastern Zimbabwe (specifically Gonarezhou National Park), to which the sandveld and drainage systems of Banhine National Park are linked.

Habitat. This new species’ ecology is unknown, but is probably similar to that of congeners. The habitat is low-lying sandveld on the edge of an extensive wetland. It is savanna woodland, with miombo vegetation. This is a widespread habitat, suggesting that the new species should also be widespread. The habitat at the type locality consists of open sandveld on deep sandy soils overlying calcrete at a depth of ca. 7 m ( Stalmans & Wishart, 2005), with annual rainfall averaging about 410 mm ( Stalmans, 2003) ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). The specimens collected near Beira were also found on deep sandy soils in open savanna, near the northern margin of the Mozambique plain.

Etymology. The new species is named for the Banhine National Park. The specific epithet is an adjective.