Frog in Southern Morocco - help please (1 Viewer)

The attached photo shows a frog seen in February near Iriri (GPS point:30.939, -7.210).

I assume that it is a North African Water Frog (Pelophylax saharicus), but it seems to be at the extreme edge of colouring; no greens at all, no vertebral line.

If so, is this colouring a result of habitat/temperature stress?

Many thanks

Muppit17 said:

The attached photo shows a frog seen in February near Iriri (GPS point:30.939, -7.210).

I assume that it is a North African Water Frog (Pelophylax saharicus), but it seems to be at the extreme edge of colouring; no greens at all, no vertebral line.

If so, is this colouring a result of habitat/temperature stress?

Many thanks

Click to expand...

The vertebral line is visible but not bright, so the overall pattern is there. I've noticed before that frogs in the early year can be dull or patchy, but brighter later. Do they moult their skin? That would explain it.

John

There aren't many to choose from but Sahara Frog Pelophylax saharicus comes closest that I can see

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sahara_frog_(Pelophylax_saharicus)_2.jpg

Species occuring

Brongersma's Toad
Common Toad
Mediterranean Tree Frog
Pelobates varaldii
Berber Toad
Crowned Bullfrog
Discoglossus scovazzi
Bufotes boulengeri
Sahara Frog
Alytes maurus

andyadcock said:

There aren't many to choose from but Sahara Frog Pelophylax saharicus comes closest that I can see

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sahara_frog_(Pelophylax_saharicus)_2.jpg

Species occuring

Brongersma's Toad
Common Toad
Mediterranean Tree Frog
Pelobates varaldii
Berber Toad
Crowned Bullfrog
Discoglossus scovazzi
Bufotes boulengeri
Sahara Frog
Alytes maurus

Click to expand...

I am using the new Amphibians and Reptiles of Morocco by Gabriel Martinez del Marmol et al. (It is a great book if pricey and heavy!)

From this the species using newer taxonomy and accepted naming relevant to this area are;
Painted Frog Discoglossus pictus
Moroccan Painted Frog Discoglossus scovazzi
Brongersma's Toad Barbarophryne brongersmai
Southern Common Toad Bufo spinosus
African Green Toad Bufotes boulengeri
Moroccan Toad Sclerophrys mauritanica
Stripeless Tree Frog Hyla meridionalis
North African Water Frog Pelophylax saharicus

With no parotid gland this rules out all the toads immediately, and it is obviously not a tree frog. Really this leaves either Moroccan Painted Frog or NA Water Frog (old Sahara Frog)

I had assumed that is was saharicus but just wanted to check.

Many thanks to all