Seychelles palm frog

Sechellophryne pipilodryas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Sooglossidae
Genus: Sechellophryne
Species: S. pipilodryas
Binomial name
Sechellophryne pipilodryas
(Gerlach and Willi, 2002)
Synonyms

Sooglossus pipilodryas Gerlach and Willi, 2002[2]
Leptosooglossus pipilodryas (Gerlach and Willi, 2002)

The Seychelles palm frog (Sechellophryne pipilodryas) is a species of frog that is endemic to Silhouette Island in the Seychelles.[3] It is closely related to Gardiner's frog, Sechellophryne gardineri.

The Seychelles palm frog inhabits forests higher than 150 m (490 ft) above sea level and is closely associated with the palm Phoenicophorium borsigianum (another Seychelles endemic); most individuals are found in axils of the palm.[1] It is the most arboreal of the Sooglossidae. As a result, the palm frog is the most recent species of the family to have been discovered (in 2000).[4]

The reproductive biology of this species is unknown, but it is presumed to involve direct development, i.e. eggs that hatch directly into froglets.[1][4]

IUCN has reassessed the species in 2012 and concluded that Seychelles palm frog should be considered as "Critically Endangered" because of its small area of occupancy (about 7 km²), decline in population size, and threats to its habitat. Its earlier (2004) classification was only "Vulnerable".[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Sechellophryne pipilodryas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Gerlach, J.; Willi, J. (2002). "A new species of Sooglossus frog (Sooglossidae)". Amphibia-Reptilia. 23 (4): 445–498. doi:10.1163/15685380260462356.
  3. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Sechellophryne pipilodryas (Gerlach and Willi, 2003)". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 Stuart, Simon N.; Michael Hoffmann; Janice S. Chanson; Neil A. Cox; Richard J. Berridge; Pavithra Ramani; Bruce E. Young, eds. (2008). Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Edicions, IUCN, Conservation International.


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