Kingdom Animalia Scientific name Ericabatrachus baleensis Higher classification Ericabatrachus Order Frog | Family Petropedetidae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Genus Ericabatrachus
Largen, 1991 Similar Frog, Bale Mountains tree frog, Ethiopian banana frog, Osgood's Ethiopian toad, Petropedetes | ||
Ericabatrachus baleensis, the Bale Mountains frog, is a species of frog in the Petropedetidae family endemic to the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia.
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Taxonomy
Ericabatrachus baleensis is monotypic within its genus. The phylogenetic relationships of this poorly known species have been debated, but molecular analyses place it the Petropedetidae family, instead of Phrynobatrachidae or Pyxicephalidae, where it has also been placed. Its sister taxon is Petropedetes.
Description
Bale Mountains frogs are small; adult males measure 19–22 mm (0.75–0.87 in) in snout–vent length and females 23–27 mm (0.91–1.06 in). Their fingers are not webbed and toes have rudimentary webbing. Adult males have well-defined femoral glands.
Habitat and conservation
Its natural habitats are grassy banks of small, fast-flowing streams in giant heath woodland and adjoining Schefflera-Hagenia forests. It is critically endangered because its range is extremely small and the habitat is under threat from trampling of streams, deforestation, and settlement development, despite being located in the Bale Mountains National Park.