A new species of Running Frog, (Kassina, Anura: Hyperoliidae) from Unguja Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Abstract

A new species of Kassina is described from Unguja Island, Zanzibar, East Africa. It is distinguished from other species in its genus by an advertisement call that is pulsed, frequency modulated, and with a longer duration than that of K. senegalensis or K. maculata, and its grey and white reticulated colour pattern. The gular strap, like that in K. senegalensis, is continuous with the thick, pleated skin of the vocal pouch, but unlike K. senegalensis, it is rounded and truncated posteriorly. In contrast, the gular gland of K. maculata is rounded and free at its posterior end. The finger and toe tips are not distinct disks, but are only very slightly rounded and truncated when viewed from above. In lateral view, the tips are noticeably flattened.