The status and relationships of some East African Earless Toads (Anura, Bufonidae) with a description of a new species

INTRODUCTION In comparing some small Ethiopian Bufo with the descriptions, types and other examples of numerous forms from East and Central African countries I became very much aware of the confusion that exists in the taxonomy and of the need for a revision of this group of dwarf toads. Most of the earless East African toads have received little or no attention since Loveridge's papers in the 1930s and a bewildering assortment of characters of doubtful taxonomic value have been used. Two of the most misleading terms applied to these small toads are "tympanum hidden" and "paratoid obscure". Often preservation alone has rendered the outline of the tympanic annulus and the paratoid obscure or invisible and only dissection reveals the true extent of the development of the characters; yet in the past dissection has rarely if ever been carried out. Arising from this investigation the following taxonomie changes have been made: Bufo mocquardi Angel = Bufo loennbergi Andersson Bufo loennberginairobiensis Loveridge = Bufo loennbergi Andersson Bufo taitanus nyikae Loveridge = Bufo loennbergi Andersson Bufo taitanus uzunguensis Loveridge = Bufo uzunguensis Loveridge Bufo ushoranus Loveridge = Bufo taitanus Peters Bufo katanganus Loveridge = Bufo taitanus Peters Bufo ushoranus; Schmidt & Inger = Mertensophryne schmidti spec. nov. The following abbreviations are used in this paper: A National Museum, Nairobi