Mertensophryne taitana (Peters, 1878)
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 taitana (common names: Taita toad, Black-chested dwarf toad, Taita dwarf toad, dwarf toad) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in southeastern Kenya and southward through Tanzania to southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Zambia, Malawi, and adjacent Mozambique. Its natural habitats are sandy places in woodlands, grasslands, open savanna, and agricultural fields. It is an opportunistic breeder utilizing small, temporary pools, and apparently, streams. The tadpole develop very fast, reaching metamorphosis in only 13 days. This adaptable species is not believed to face any significant threats.
Wikipedia contributors, Mertensophryne taitana; 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 taitana (Peters, 1878)
- Name authority
- (Peters, 1878)
- 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 taitana (Peters, 1878)
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 nyikae (Loveridge, 1953) | 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 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 |
|---|---|
| Mertensophryne ushoranus (Loveridge, 1932) (Loveridge, 1932) | synonym |
| Bufo taitanus Peters, 1878 Peters, 1878 | synonym |
| Bufo taitanus taitanus Peters, 1878 Peters, 1878 | synonym |
| Bufo katanganus Loveridge, 1932 Loveridge, 1932 | synonym |
| Bufo ushoranus Loveridge, 1932 Loveridge, 1932 | 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=773622 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:3ZWXF. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.