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| Theloderma pseudohorridum Kurniawan, Septiadi, Kadafi, Fathoni, Prabasari & Thammachoti, 2023. False Warted Treefrog || Katak Pohon Kutil Palsu |
Abstract
Species diversity of the genus Theloderma has been extensively studied in recent decades, with the majority of newly described species hailing from the Indochina region. We describe a new species of medium-sized Theloderma based on molecular and morphological evidence from lowland forest in the southern part of Central Java Province, Indonesia, that is highly similar to and considered cryptic within the T. horridum group. A phylogenetic approach shows that this population is a distinct genetic lineage and can be distinguished from its congeners by the absence of vomerine teeth, moderate irregular blunt warts and studded with calcified asperities on the dorsal skin, a distinct color pattern, and a distinct denticle formula in the tadpole. Although the range of the new species is known only from Central Java, it cannot be ruled out that it may extends into adjacent areas, such as other parts of Java and Sumatra.
Keywords: frogs; molecular phylogeny; Nusa Kambangan Island; taxonomy; Theloderma pseudohorridum sp. nov.
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| Theloderma pseudohorridum sp. nov. Adult male holotype (MZB Amph 23877) (A) and sub-adult paratype (MZB Amph 23879) (B) from Nusa Kambangan Island, Central Java, Indonesia, in life (ex-situ). Habitat at collection site showing location of breeding site of water-filled tree hollows (C), closer look on tree hollows (D), and non-vouchered specimens resurfacing on the wall of tree hollows (E). Photographs by L. Septiadi (A–B) and Ahmad M. Kadafi (C–E). |
Theloderma pseudohorridum sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Assigned to the genus Theloderma on the basis of following morphological characters: (1) distinct tympanum, (2) rounded canthus rostralis, (3) absence of bony ridges from canthus rostralis to occiput, (4) skin of head not co-ossified to the skull, (5) having some degree of tuberculate skin, sometimes with calcified warts on the dorsum, and (6) Y-shaped terminal phalanges (Liem, 1970; McLeod and Norhayati, 2007; Rowley et al., 2011; Nguyen et al., 2015b, 2016; Poyarkov et al., 2015, 2018; Dever, 2017; Hou et al., 2017); and phylogenetic position (Figure 2). Theloderma pseudohorridum sp. nov. is distinguished from other congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: (1) medium-sized species of Theloderma (adult SVL range: 39.32–43.11 mm), (2) body and head dorsoventrally compressed, (3) pupil horizontally rounded, (4) vomerine teeth absent, (5) fingers half webbed, (6) toes fully webbed, (7) tibio-tarsal articulation reach beyond tip of snout, (8) dorsal skin with moderate irregular blunt warts and studded with calcified asperities, (9) ventral skin of throat smooth, weakly flat granules on belly and thigh, lacking calcified asperities on groin–cloacal region, (10) dorsal skin dark beige gray, with distinct dark brown blotches, (11) ventral skin shiny and prominently black in the throat area, with thin white-bluish tint.
Etymology: Specific epithet “pseudohorridum” is derived from Greek prefix “pseudo-”, meaning false, and “horridum”, due to its similarity to T. horridum.
Suggested English name: False Warted Treefrog
Suggested Indonesian name: Katak Pohon Kutil Palsu
Nia KURNIAWAN, Luhur SEPTIADI, Ahmad Muammar KADAFI, Muhammad FATHONI, Kartika PRABASARI and Panupong THAMMACHOTI. 2023. A New Species of Theloderma Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Rhacoporidae) from Central Java Allied to T. horridum (Boulenger, 1903). Asian Herpetological Research. 14(1); 1－23.DOI: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.220033 ahr-journal.com/oa/DArticle.aspx?type=view&id=20230101
