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| female Scaphiophryne boribory
photo: Olaf Pronk | https://flic.kr/p/dM2LPR
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Scaphiophryne boribory
Vences, Raxworthy, Nussbaum & Glaw, 2003
A revision of the available material hitherto assigned to the endemic Malagasy microhylid toad Scaphiophryne marmorata finds this taxon to be a complex of three species. In this study we resurrect Scaphiophryne spinosa Steindachner, 1882 from the synonymy of S. marmorata and describe a new species from central eastern Madagascar. These three Scaphiophryne species are characterized by their distinctly expanded terminal finger discs, a character only shared with S. gottlebei. S. spinosa is characterized by a highly granular back, with large spiny tubercles above the forelimb insertion and in the tympanic region, while S. marmorata is dorsally covered by less prominent and more regular tubercles. The new species is distinguished from both S. marmorata and S. spinosa by its large body size (SVL 47-60 mm), a smoother dorsal skin, and reddish terminal finger discs in life. S. spinosa is distributed in low- and mid-altitude rainforests along the east coast, whereas the new species is only known from mid-altitude rainforest in the
Fierenana region. In contrast, records of S. marmorata include eastern mid-altitude rainforests
and several more arid western sites.
Key words: Amphibia, Anura, Madagascar, Microhylidae, frog taxonomy.
Etymology. The specific name is an unlatinized epithet derived from the Malagasy adjective boribory (=rounded), and refers to the stout and rounded body shape of this species.
Distribution. Only known from two specific sites in the Fierenana region, central eastern Madagascar (Fig.3): (1) Ampahanana, and (2) Sahanomanana.
Venesci, M; Raxworthy, C. J.; Nussbaum, R. A.; Glaw, F. 2003. A Revision of the Scaphiophryne marmorata Complex of Marbled Toads from Madagascar, including the description of a new species. Herpetological Journal 13: 69–79.
Jeanneney Rabearivony, Achille P. Raselimanana, Manajary A. Andriamazava, Russell Thorstrom and Lily-Arison Rene de Roland. 2010. A new locality for the endangered microhylid frog Scaphiophryne boribory from northern Madagascar and a rapid survey of other amphibians of the Bemanevika region. Herpetology Notes. 3: 105-109
