Frog Arthroleptis francei was first collected from near the Ruo River on the slopes of the Mulanje Massif. One of its common names is Ruo River screeching frog. Its other common name, France's squeaker, as well as its specific name francei carry a tragic history. Mr. F. H. France was a young forestry officer who perished in trying to cross the Ruo River close to where Arthroleptis francei were first collected. Arthur Loveridge, the scientist who described the species, named it after France so that his name may be linked with the forests he sought to preserve on the mountain he loved so well. Despite its connection with river though its history and naming, this frog is a terrestrial species living in leaf litter.