A. Dawood et A. Channing, A molecular phylogeny of moss frogs from the Western Cape, South Africa, with a description of a new species, J HERPETOL, 34(3), 2000, pp. 375-379
Moss frogs of the genus Arthroleptella from the mountains of the Western Ca
pe, south Africa are morphologically identical, and were once placed in a s
ingle species. Previous fieldwork on these cryptic animals inhabiting seepa
ge areas has shown the presence of allopatric populations on isolated mount
ains. We present a molecular phylogeny and describe a new species that is s
ympatric with Arthroleptella villiersi. It has a unique advertisement call,
and the skin is smoother, with nostrils placed slightly wider than the oth
er species.