RASTAPODIDAE FAM. NOV. OF “HARROWFOOT FROGS” (ANURA: NEOBATRACHIA) INFERRED FROM Breviceps mossambicus RE-DESCRIPTION (FORMERLY IN BREVICIPITIDAE) FROM TANZANIA

A new family comprising “Harrowfoot Frogs” (Anura: Neobatrachia) has been inferred from the Mozambique rain frog, Breviceps mossambicus, also known as flat-faced frog, re-described from Tanzania. Members have football-shaped eyes, horizontal pupils and smooth skin with no paratoid glands, typically like Hemisotidae – the shovelnose frogs also known as snout burrowers. Most importantly, the new family has a distinct heavy framework of keratinous harrow-like digging device on hind foot, correlating to one or two lesser foot tubercles known in the spadefoot toads (Pelobatidae and Scaphiopodidae) and true toads (Bufonidae), respectively. The identified harrow is made up of three forklets trifurcated on metatarsal 2 to 4 of each foot. All frogs with this homology fall under their own group, Rastapodidae fam. nov., native to Africa. The analysis also elucidates the taxonomic status of B. mossambicus, formerly included in Brevicipitidae with no clear morphological delineation.