On some amphibians collected by the late prof. Giuseppe scortecci in somalia

Abstract

The nearly one thousand amphibians collected by the late Prof. Giuseppe Scortecci during his last two expeditions to northern and central Somalia (1953 and 1957) belong to 11 species: Bufo blanfordi Boulenger, Bufo dodsoni Boulenger, Bufo cf. lughensis Loveridge, Bufo xeros M. Tandy, J. Tandy, Keith & Duff-MacKay, Ptychadena anchietae (Bocage), Pyxicephalus obbianus Calabresi (lectotype ♂ n. 302 M.F., paralectotype cf n. 10376 M.F.), Tomopterna (delalandei) cryptotis (Boulenger), Chiromantis petersi kelleri Boettger, Kassina parkeri (Scortecci) [lectotype ♂ n. 6 M.M., paralectotype n. 7 M.M. (ex collective n. 673 M.M.)] and Kassina (senegalensis) somalica Scortecci; a new species, Tomopterna (?) scorteccii from Gardo, was previously described by Balletto et al. (1978). A statistical study carried out on Pyxicephalus obbianus and Kassina parkeri pointed out their specific distinction, respectively from P. adspersus Tschudi and K. (senegalensis) somalica. This latter, however, as well as K. (senegalensis) argyreivittis Peters seem likely to be specifically distinct from K. senegalensis (Dumeril & Bibron). The following synonymies are respectively confirmed and established: Pyxicephalus flavigula Calabresi, 1916 = Pyxicephalus adspersus Tschudi, 1838; Rana (Pyxicephalus) cimmarutai Scortecci, 1932 = Pyxicephalus obbianus Calabresi. © 1978 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.