Namibian Frog ID

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Namibian Frog ID

Postby ptenopus » Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:43 am

This little guy was found under a planter box in Aroab, Namibia. Any ideas?
Image
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby boing » Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:51 am

Its a frog... Wait maybe a toad. OK, it is definitely a Padda (I like that Afrikaans does not differentiate between them at times like this!!)

But really, I would say Western Olive Toad, Bufo poweri. I could be subject to correction though.
There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. ~ Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby Piston » Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:39 am

Ok. First I thought it was a Pigmy Toad sp. Bigger toads got parotid glands, Pigmy toad is inconspicuous, but this one lacks it. Thus it looks now more to a Caco sp. Reason why I think so. The mask around the eye, thus my ID is Cacosternum boettgeri, Common Caco. The final nail in the coffin wil be if it got any black dots on the belly? how big was it?
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby boing » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:22 pm

OK, I admit that my initial idea was wrong, but now I would go with Hoesch Toad Bufo hoeschi...
There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. ~ Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby ptenopus » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:14 am

Well, it certainly didnt look like a Bufo, but i could be wrong. I cant clearly remeber if it had black spots on the belly. It was very small. maybe a little bigger than a beer cap (soda cap for those under age..) It was no where near water, but was under a planter with another of the same species.
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby Piston » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:54 am

That size indicates that it must be Cacosternum boettgeri, but who knows. Maybe its something new for that area. One more thing. Caco's do not have webbing between toes, but Bufo's do. Can you remember if it had webbing?
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby ptenopus » Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:02 am

Im pretty sure it did have webbing, and as you can see from the picture, the back feet have the elongated middle toes of a web-footed swimmer. I wish i had taken a few more pictures of the animal. I might be able to see if a friend has a better picture of it. He is on vacation, but when he gets back, i"ll try to post it. Im sure this frog was not a Bufo. Im not a frog guy but i can tell you that.
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Re: Namibian Frog ID

Postby Piston » Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:48 am

I am also sure its not a Bufo (no parotiod or build of a Bufo), cant be a Strongylopus (streamfrog - their middle to is more than half the bodyleght and no webbing or a little). That still leaves me with a Caco, but they don't have webbing and are small. Maybe a better picture will help.
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