Mertensophryne nyikae (Loveridge, 1953)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Mertensophryne nyikae (common name: Nyika dwarf toad) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Nyika Plateau of northern Malawi and adjacent northeastern Zambia.
Its natural habitats are montane forests and nearby wet, boggy grasslands at approximately 2,500 m (8,200 ft) asl. Breeding takes place in small, shallow pools. Although its range is mostly (possibly entirely) within relatively well managed protected areas, habitat loss remains a potential threat.
Wikipedia contributors, Mertensophryne nyikae; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T17:09:19.369533+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mertensophryne nyikae (Loveridge, 1953)
- Name authority
- (Loveridge, 1953)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Bufonidae
- Genus
- Mertensophryne
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyBufonidae Gray, 1825
- genusMertensophryne Tihen, 1960
- speciesMertensophryne nyikae (Loveridge, 1953)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mertensophryne. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Mertensophryne lindneri (Mertens, 1955) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne loveridgei (Poynton, 1991) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne melanopleura (Schmidt & Inger, 1959) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne nairobiensis (Loveridge, 1932) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne lughensis (Loveridge, 1932) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne anotis (Boulenger, 1907) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne howelli (Poynton & Clarke, 1999) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne lonnbergi (Andersson, 1911) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne mocquardi (Angel, 1924) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne taitana (Peters, 1878) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne usambarae (Poynton & Clarke, 1999) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mertensophryne uzunguensis (Loveridge, 1932) | BufonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Bufo nyikae Loveridge, 1953 Loveridge, 1953 | synonym |
| Bufo taitanus nyikae Loveridge, 1953 Loveridge, 1953 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=773620 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3ZWXD. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.