{{Short description|Genus of amphibians}} {{Speciesbox | image = Ericabatrachus baleensis from Siu-Ting et al. BMC Evol Biol 2014.png | status = CR | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 14 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2013 |title=''Ericabatrachus baleensis'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T58075A16953634 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T58075A16953634.en |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> | display_parents = 3 | grandparent_authority = Dubois, Ohler, and Pyron, 2021 | genus = Ericabatrachus | parent_authority = Largen, 1991 | species = baleensis | authority = Largen, 1991<ref name=Largen/> }}
'''''Ericabatrachus''''' is a genus of frogs in the family '''Ericabatrachidae''' endemic to the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species '''''Ericabatrachus baleensis''''', commonly known as the '''Bale Mountains frog'''.<ref name=frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Petropedetidae/Ericabatrachus/Ericabatrachus-baleensis |title=''Ericabatrachus baleensis'' Largen, 1991 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2014 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=23 March 2014}}</ref> It was previously included in the family Petropedetidae, but is now placed in its own monotypic family, Ericabatrachidae.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Dubois |first=Alain |last2=Ohler |first2=Annemarie |last3=Pyron |first3=R. Alexander |date=26 February 2021 |title=New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia) |url=https://www.biotaxa.org/megataxa/article/view/megataxa.5.1.1 |journal=Megataxa |volume=5 |page=114}}</ref>
==Taxonomy== ''Ericabatrachus baleensis'' is monotypic within its genus and family. The phylogenetic relationships of this poorly known species have been debated, but molecular analyses has placed it the family Petropedetidae,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Petropedetidae/Ericabatrachus |title=''Ericabatrachus'' Largen, 1991 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2014 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=23 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=Siu-Ting/> instead of Phrynobatrachidae or Pyxicephalidae, where it has also been placed.<ref name=Siu-Ting>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1186/1471-2148-14-44| pmid = 24612655| title = Evolutionary relationships of the Critically Endangered frog ''Ericabatrachus baleensis'' Largen, 1991 with notes on incorporating previously unsampled taxa into large-scale phylogenetic analyses| journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology| volume = 14| issue = 1| page = 44| year = 2014| last1 = Siu-Ting | first1 = K. | last2 = Gower | first2 = D. J. | last3 = Pisani | first3 = D. | last4 = Kassahun | first4 = R. | last5 = Gebresenbet | first5 = F. | last6 = Menegon | first6 = M. | last7 = Mengistu | first7 = A. A. | last8 = Saber | first8 = S. A. | last9 = De Sá | first9 = R. | last10 = Wilkinson | first10 = M. | last11 = Loader | first11 = S. P. | pmc = 4008257| doi-access = free}}</ref> It was updated again in 2021, placing it in the family Ericabatrachidae.<ref name=":0" />
==Description== Bale Mountains frogs are small; adult males measure {{convert|19|-|22|mm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length and females {{convert|23|-|27|mm|abbr=on}}. Their fingers are not webbed and toes have rudimentary webbing. Adult males have well-defined femoral glands.<ref name=Largen>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1080/03946975.1991.10539483| title = A new genus and species of petropedetine frog (Amphibia Anura Ranidae) from high altitude in the mountains of Ethiopia| journal = Tropical Zoology| volume = 4| pages = 139–152| year = 1991| last1 = Largen | first1 = M. J. }}</ref>
==Habitat and conservation== Its natural habitats are grassy banks of small, fast-flowing streams in giant heath woodland and adjoining ''Astropanax''–''Hagenia'' forest. It is critically endangered because its range is extremely small and the habitat is under threat from trampling of streams, deforestation, and settlement development, despite being located in the Bale Mountains National Park.<ref name="iucn status 14 November 2021" />
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q11843209|from2=Q1311170}}
Category:Ranoidea Category:Monotypic amphibian genera Category:Amphibians of Ethiopia Category:Endemic fauna of Ethiopia Category:Bale Mountains Category:Fauna of the Ethiopian Highlands Category:Critically endangered fauna of Africa Category:Amphibians described in 1991 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Taxa named by Alain Dubois Category:Taxa named by Annemarie Ohler