MARQUES ET AL.; AMPHIBIANS AND TERRESTRIAL REPTILES OF ANGOLA 
I4I 
Ptychadena taenioscelis Laurent, 1954 Dwarf Grass Frog 
Ptychadena taenioscelis Laurent 1954b:25, pi. 5, fig. 1, pi. 4, fig. 6. Holotype: MRAC 13122 (collector G.F. 
de Witte). Type locality: “Lukula, pres de Kiambi, Tanganyika,” Democratic Republic of Congo. 
Ptychadena taenioscelis: Laurent (1964a: 140), Cei (1977:16), Poynton and Broadley (1985b: 153), Poynton 
and Haacke (1993:14), Ruas (1996:26), Channing (2001:341), Frost (2016), Conradie et al. (2016:18). 
Ptychadena pumilio: Largen (2001:342). 
Ptychadena {Ptychadena) pumilio: Fretey et al. (2011:41). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Least Concern. 
Global distribution: The species is broadly distributed across southern, Central, and eastern 
Africa. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 90): The 
species occurs in the east of the country. 
Lunda Norte: “Riviere Luita, Poste de Cuilo 
(Rio Luita)” [-8.03333, 19.41667] (Laurent 
1964a: 140; Ruas 1996:26). Lunda Sul: “Lua- 
chimo, 120 km au sud de Vila Henrique de Car¬ 
valho (Luachimo)” [-10.68333, 20.26667] 
(Laurent 1964a: 140; Ruas 1996:26); “Alto 
Chicapa, partie superieure des chutes du Cuan- 
go-Muque (Rio Cuango-Muque)” [-10.76667, 
19.20000] (Laurent 1964a: 140; Ruas 1996:26); 
“Alto Chicapa” [-10.88333, 19.23333] (Lau¬ 
rent 1964a: 140; Ruas 1996:26). Malanje; “20 
km NW of Quimbango (Quimbango)” 
[-10.76667, 17.43333] (Poynton and Haacke 
1993:14; Ruas 1996:26). Moxico: “Reserve de 
chasse de Cameia, fosse inonde pres de la 
route” [-11.83333, 21.00000] (Laurent 
1964a: 140; Ruas 1996:26). Cuando Cubango: 
“Cubango basin (3)” [-14.94277, 17.71863] (Conradie et al. 2016:8-9,18); “Cubango basin (6b)” 
[-14.67458, 17.73544] (Conradie et al. 2016:8-9,18); “Cubango basin (19)” [-14.70213, 17.37772] 
(Conradie et al. 2016:8-9,18); “Cuito basin (30d)” [-17.51327, 20.06111] (Conradie et al. 2016: 
9-10,18); “Cuito basin (35)” [-16.62322, 19.05352] (Conradie et al. 2016:19-10,18); “Cuando 
basin (43)” [-17.53500, 23.18916] (Conradie et al. 2016:9-10,18); “Cuando basin (43b)” (Conra¬ 
die et al. 2016:9, 18); “Cuando basin (44a)” [-17.57333, 23.26000] (Conradie et al. 2016:9-10,18); 
“Cuito basin (62)” [-17.50875, 20.06608] (Conradie et al. 2016:9,12,18). Undetermined Locali¬ 
ty: “areas of forest and savanna in the north and northeast of Angola” (Cei 1977:16). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: Ptychadena taenioscelis Laurent, 1954 has occasional¬ 
ly been treated as a synonym of Ptychadena pumilio (Boulenger 1920). Perret (1979) suggested 
that P. taenioscelis is probably a subspecies of P. pumilio and referred records of P. taenioscelis 
from western and Central Africa to this species. Largen (2001) noted the occurrence of 
P. pumilio in Angola, as did Fretey et al. (2011) who included P. taenioscelis and P. smithi Guibe, 
1960 as synonyms of P. pumilio. Further studies are needed to understand whether these are two 
distinct species or in fact are one and the same. However, we choose to treat this as a species 
distinct from Ptychadena pumilio, following Poynton and Broadley (1985b), Channing (2001), 
Pickersgill (2007a), and Frost (2016). 
Map 90. Distribution of Ptychadena taenioscelis 
Angola. 
