Boophis pauliani (Guibé 1953)

A small-sized treefrog, males and females 20-23 mm. The back of the males is greenish, greyish or yellowish, females are light brown, sometimes with two large yellow dorsilateral marks. Flanks sometimes with black and white markings. Venter uniformly whitish. Skin on the back granular in males, with a lighter colouration of the granules; smooth to slightly granular in females. Nostrils slightly nearer to tip of snout than to eye. Tympanum indistinct, tympanum/eye ratio is 1/3. Tibiotarsal articulation can reach the tip of the snout. The only known Boophis without vomerine teeth. Hands with a trace of webbing; webbing of the foot 1(0.5), 2i/e(1), 3i/e(1), 4i/e(1), 5(0.5). Males with nuptial pads and a single subgular, barely distensible vocal sac. Similar species: Could perhaps be mistaken with species of the B. rappiodes-group, and with juveniles of other Boophis.Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007).

Ambatovory, Andasibe, Ifanadiana, Ranomafana, Ranomafanakely, Tolagnaro. Strong genetic differentiation among populations. Observed at elevations from sea level to 1,100m asl in ponds and swamps of secondary and degraded forest, and in agricultural areas (Cadle and Vences 2008).

Habits: Males call from shrubs near pools in, or near, forest, or swim in the water and dive when disturbed. Couples in amplexus were also observed swimming and diving. Call: Typically a single short and loud note repeated after irregular intervals, resembling the yelping of a young dog. In highly motivated choruses, trill notes can be heard as well. Eggs and tadpoles: We found very characteristic tadpoles at Ankeniheny and Marojezy which developed into juveniles with colouration patterns strongly reminding the pauliani females described above. The tadpoles were captured in pools near slow moving brooks in primary forest. Two colour variants were found in syntopy which are similar in morphology and tentatively we regard both as the same species. One variant is uniformly greyish, the other is coloured aposematically: black with one distinct transversal yellow band on the back and one yellow spot on the snout. Characteristically the caudal musculature at the base of the tail is thickened and enlarged, reaching into the caudal fin. At midlength of the tail, the caudal musculature represents about 2/7 of the total tail height. The tip of the tail is sharply pointed. The caudal fin is transparent. Tooth formula is 1/4+4//1+1/2. Total length in stage 27 is 27-29 mm, body length 10-11 mm. Two metamorphosing young measured 13.5 and 15 mm. They were grey with two large whitish dorsilateral patches. Fore- and hindlegs with dark transversal bands.

It occurs in the Réserve Spéciale de Kalambatritra, Parc National de Ranomafana, and in protected areas near Andasibe (Cadle and Vences 2008).

Boophis pauliani is a species of frogs in the family Mantellidae.

It is endemic to Madagascar.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, swamps, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest.

It is threatened by habitat loss.