A new polymorphic Phrynobatrachus (Amphibia: Anura: Phrynobatrachidae) from western Nigeria

We describe a new small Phrynobatrachus species from western Nigeria, the eastern-most part of the Upper Guinea biodiversity hotspot. The new species exhibits a combination of unique morphological characters and a belly without pattern. Morphologically it is characterised by small size, compact roundish body with a round and short snout, large eyes, absence of an eyelid cornicle, presence of a conspicuous row of warts with pores on the upper mandible, absence of discs on toe and finger tips, well developed webbing, larger warts on forehead and inter-orbital space and a pair of, sometimes indistinct, elongated chevron like ridges on the back. Analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA revealed that the new species differs from 33 other West and Central African species of the genus by a minimum distance of 6.6%. Genetically the new species is most similar to Phrynobatrachus ghanensis, P. guineensis and P. phyllophilus, all being endemic to the western part of the Upper Guinea forest zone.