Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:to rely in colouration to identify species in this complex
Of course not!!!!!! If we had found this toad in Tel Aviv I wouldn´t have any doubt about species. The problem is the coloration but ALSO the place where we found it: NEGEV, and FEW METERS to EGYPT. It´s a real risk to make juzgements in the aspect indeed, but I have not read the limit between south clade of viridis (yes, boulengeri) and viridis stricto sensu. So I just make a small doubt about this individual because:
- I haven´t experience in green toads (just a bit in Moroccan boulengeri)
- This toad was found very close Egypt and I don´t read where is the border line (maybe in Sinai Peninsula, I don´t know)
But I said:
Gabriel Martínez wrote:It was found close Egypt border and maybe is of the southern clade of this study (¿?¿ probably not because they use many samples in the study but...)
I mean, that I´m pretty sure that it´s a viridis, but the extreme desert localitation of the individual and the strange coloration make in me a small doubt! If you are sure, then now I´m sure 100% that we found 3 viridis in different habitats (mountain, mediterranean dunes and desert dunes)
Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Of course, also, the last one is a male and the others females (I think...).
No idea. In Moroccan boulengeri usually males are green and females cream-brown, but Moroccan females are usually really nice marked, but in this case (viridis of Israel), males are nice and marked and "female" has a ugly design. But I have no knowledge about israel colorations and you know well the viridis coloration so probably you are right