Pyxicephalus Differences

[onedge30]

Alright, Terry. Now that we have your head spinning, how about your eyes crosssing!

Here is something I have been working on. I think they are correct. I had trouble understanding the interorbital bar.

[tgampper]

WOW!

That's great Your photos and annotations are spectacular. One problem, it is P. edulis that has the interorbital bar. The interorbital bar is a faded, light stripe that goes across the top of the head connecting the two eyes, kinda like: 0----0. I think a great African bullfrog guide can be written if we pool all of our resources together. If you or others would like to volunteer, let me know. Thanks!

[tgampper]

Pyxicephalus obbianus Calabresi, 1927

Endemic to Somalia
Description: similar to P. adspursus; tympanum larger than the eye and lies very close to it. Some individuals lack the vertebral stripe.

[John]

Jeff, are you sure that's an edulis? It doesn't look like it to me - looks like something else.

[tgampper]

Jeff, are you sure that's an edulis? It doesn't look like it to me - looks like something else.

Well, John, looks like we have a lot of work to be done. Hopefully, we can get enough people involved so we can identify these frogs properly.

[Tofuman]

That's a great description Thanks allot.

[onedge30]

Terry - Yes, I am volunteering!

Damn. So close with the illustration, but just missed the mark. Ok, now that you have explained the interorbital bar. (but isn't 'inter' - inside? so inside the eye?) It has always looked to me, that adspersus has a very individual iris. Is there a name for that type of adspersus eye?

John .... I hoped that that was an adult edulis. After all the pictures I have been looking at, I really had hoped. Shoot!!! Now that you say that.... I think I understand. I can try again.

IMHO(with what little I know) adspersus is kind of unique, but edulis and obbianus should look similar? The physical descriptions only work on the adults, not the babies or juveniles? We really need to lock down pictures of the 'original' described species? But on all counts ..... count me in. I can work on more graphics as needed.

[John]

The frog on the right is adspersus.

Terry and everyone - I encourage you to search the forum for photos posted over the past 2 years and pick the ones that best illustrate what you're trying to show. Then post the links and I can work it all into an article and credit everyone involved as authors. What do you think?

[tgampper]

Terry - Yes, I am volunteering!

Damn. So close with the illustration, but just missed the mark. Ok, now that you have explained the interorbital bar. (but isn't 'inter' - inside? so inside the eye?) It has always looked to me, that adspersus has a very individual iris. Is there a name for that type of adspersus eye?

Thanks for volunteering. Let's take John's advice and look through all the photos of Pyxicephalus that are posted on the form. We'll need to pick the best ones for the article. I was also baffled with interorbital. I remembered that the prefix "inter" means to cross over boundaries and "orbital" refered to the eye, so the light bulb in my brain went off and realized the bar is between the eyes, not within the eye area.

John .... I hoped that that was an adult edulis. After all the pictures I have been looking at, I really had hoped. Shoot!!! Now that you say that.... I think I understand. I can try again.

IMHO(with what little I know) adspersus is kind of unique, but edulis and obbianus should look similar? The physical descriptions only work on the adults, not the babies or juveniles? We really need to lock down pictures of the 'original' described species? But on all counts ..... count me in. I can work on more graphics as needed.

Great job anyway. You have the right idea, just wrong frog. The key descriptions work for adult frogs and non-hybrids. I understand that juvenile P. edulis also has the white spot in the tympanum. That might be the only way to tell the difference between juvenile species. The frog on the left looked like edulis to me, the spot on the tympanum is either round or crescent shape, according to Carruthers. But, John is the pyxie guru

[John]

The frog on the left looked like edulis to me, the spot on the tympanum is either round or crescent shape, according to Carruthers. But, John is the pyxie guru

Well this is the thing - I don't claim to be a guru on Pyxies, just that I know when something is not a Pyxicephalus adspersus. After that, I probably know less than you Terry. Do you think the one on the left is Pyxicephalus edulis?

[onedge30]

Thanks for volunteering. Let's take John's advice and look through all the photos of Pyxicephalus that are posted on the form. We'll need to pick the best ones for the article. I was also baffled with interorbital. I remembered that the prefix "inter" means to cross over boundaries and "orbital" refered to the eye, so the light bulb in my brain went off and realized the bar is between the eyes, not within the eye area.

Terrry, it is "interocular" bar. According to Channing.

[Malachi]

My P. Edulis,

I believe it is male?

[tgampper]

Thanks, Malachi, for your great pix of P.edulis. If you would like to contribute to our project, you are most welcome.

I will be busy today and won't be back until this evening. I will look in all my African field guides for a good description on P. edulis. I also have Roedel's book which has a detailed description of edulis.

[Malachi]

I would love to. I can bust out the good camera and can get some better shots from different angles as well. Let me know what you need.

[onedge30]

Wow! I just received 3 different emails from associates in South Africa who have information on the genus Pyxicephalus .... and the photos are coming in DIFFERENT!!!

As soon as I can organize what is happening, or try to clarify what photos are being thrown around, I will let you all know. But it looks like what we are calling edulis may not be. Very weird.

[Kevin1]

Very odd Jeff, The pictures posted by Malachi and the one you posted before that are what I always thought to be the "classic" Edulis.
Did you receive the pictures I sent you last night?

[onedge30]

Kevin, yep got your pictures. Last pm will download today.

The pictures that I am being sent from Africa, are looking like the edulis we know, is the odd man out. I need to look more closely at this information before I post it. And send a few emails back and forth with the sources for positive identification.