About
Arthroleptis kutogundua is only known from a single specimen, collected in 1930.
Despite many surveys carried out at Ngozi by different parties over the last ten years, this species has not been recorded. Given the lack of records since the species’ description, it is fears this frog may be extinct.The genus Arthroleptis diverged within the squeaker frog family about 70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period, 5 million years before the extinction of the dinosaurs, making them as different from their closest relatives as camels are to whales and at a time when pigs and giraffes shared a common ancestor! Unfortunately, all of the natural habitats of the Ngozi crater are degraded and are continuing to be heavily impacted by encroachment from human activity which includes pole cutting and the production of charcoal; logging, agriculture and unregulated tourism. The frog was found inside the Mporoto Ridge Forest Reserve, however, management has been lacking for decades and this area is in urgent need of improved protection.
- Order: Anura
- Family: Arthroleptidae
- Population: Possibly extinct
- Trend: unknown
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is known from the Ngozi Crater in the Poroto Mountains, Tanzania, around 2,450 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
There are no observations on this frog’s habitat and ecology, but it was collected in montane forests surrounding a lake. This frog is expected to have similar ecological requirements to closely allied species, including being terrestrial (land dwelling) and being associated with leaf litter.