Assessment of the amphibians in the forests of southern Ghana and western Togo

We report on the results of our assessments of amphibians in the forests of southern Ghana and western Togo. During two surveys in 2005 (Ghana) and 2007 (Ghana and Togo), we recorded at least 45 frog species. These included first country records for Ghana (Kassina cf. cochranae) and Togo (Hyperolius sylvaticus sylvaticus), and several species that had not or only rarely been found after they had been described, e.g. we herein report the rediscovery of Conraua derooi. A high percentage of the recorded frog assemblages consisted of species endemic to the Upper Guinea forest, to Ghana or even a particular region within Ghana (and Togo). The majority of species was closely associated with forest habitats. Nevertheless, in some forest areas the presence of savanna and farmbush species indicated serious habitat degradation. This situation was particularly obvious in the Togo-Volta Highlands. The fact that one third of the encountered amphibians were threatened highlights the importance of the forest ecosystems of southern Ghana and western Togo for the maintenance of the regional biodiversity. However, our results also indicate the urgent need to protect these forests more efficiently.