Shovelnose frog

Hemisus marmoratus

Hemisus is the only genus of amphibian family Hemisotidae.

Description

The pupils are vertical. The tongue is broad, oblong, cut back and lifted free. Palate teeth, Eustachian tube and tympanic membrane are missing. Finger and toe ends are pointed with simple bony phalanges. The fingers are free. There is at most a very weak webbing which does not intervene between the metatarsals of the 4th and 5th toe to toe. The Praecoracoide are highly developed and transverse standing. The coracoids are long and narrow and, together with its media, not flared ends an acute angle. The Omosternum is cartilaginous, stunted the sternum. The transverse processes of the Sacralwirbels are weak broadened.

Occurrence

The genus occurs in tropical and sub-tropical Africa south of the Sahara before.

System

The genus was first described in 1859 by Hemisus Albert Günther. A synonym is Kakophrynus Steindachner, 1863 It includes 9 species. :

• Hemisus barotseensis Channing & Broadley, 2002
• Hemisus brachydactylus Laurent, 1963
• Hemisus guineensis Cope, 1865
• Hemisus guttatus ( Rapp, 1842)
• Hemisus marmoratus (Peters, 1854)
• Hemisus microscaphus Laurent, 1972
• Hemisus olivaceus Laurent, 1963
• Hemisus perreti Laurent, 1972
• Hemisus wittei Laurent, 1963