About
Cophyla maharipeo is endemic to Madagascar and has only been found in an abbey garden in Joffreville in the Diana region.
In 2015 around eight calling males were found in the same patch of bamboo and a male and a female were found inside a bamboo trunk with five juveniles.
This species of frog is part of the Microhylidae (the “Narrow-mouthed frogs”) family, which diverged from all other amphibians about 80 million years ago, which is around the same time that beavers and mice shared a common ancestor.
This is a relatively unstudied species and there is no further information on their ecology and reproductive behaviour. Their habitat is under high deforestation pressure from agriculture and logging. Species in this genus have also tested positive for the Chytrid fungus, but no negative effects have been observed suggesting that the Chytrid fungus strain does not have a strong impact on the species.
This species lives in the Forêt d’Ambre Special Reserve, which is legally protected. Despite intensive surveys in other areas of northern Madagascar, the species has not been found elsewhere suggesting it is a local endemic. However, it is possible this species could occur in the dry forest adjacent to the Forêt d’Ambre Special Reserve.
- Order: Anura
- Family: Microhylidae
- Trend: decreasing
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is only found in Joffreville, Diana Region, northern Madagascar between 634-720 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
This is a terrestrial forest species. About eight calling males were found in the same patch of bamboo in the garden of an abbey in Joffreville. A male and a female were found in a bamboo trunk, along with five juveniles. No further information is available on the natural history or reproductive behaviour of this species.