[Herpetology • 2019] Pelophryne ingeri • A New Species of Pelophryne (Anura, Bufonidae) from Malay Peninsula

 Pelophryne ingeri

 Matsui, 2019

 DOI: 10.5358/hsj.38.128 

 Abstract  

A small, semi-arboreal toad of the genus Pelophryne from Peninsular Malaysia has been treated as P. brevipes or P. signata. The peninsular toad and Bornean P. signata are very similar to each other morphologically, although slightly different in relative forelimb length, dorsal coloration, and tuberculation. However, in partial mtDNA sequence, the peninsular toad is substantially distinct from P. signata from Borneo and P. brevipes from the Philippines, although it is close to a congener from Sumatra. Thus, the peninsular toad is described as a new species based on specimens from Genting Highlands, state of Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia. Of the two morphotypes recognized in the genus, the new species belongs to the one with the tips of the fingers expanded into truncate discs, in which the new species is the smallest in body size. The new species also occurs in Singapore and possibly in Sumatra.

KEYWORDS: body size, cryptic species, Malaysia, MtDNA phylogeny, Pelophryne ingeri sp. nov

Fig. 2. Dorsolateral view of male holotype of Pelophryne ingeri sp. nov. (KUHE 15647).

Systematics: 

Pelophryne ingeri sp. nov.

Pelophryne signata: Hendrickson, 1966, p. 73 (part).

Pelophryne brevipes: Grandison, 1972, p. 54 (part); Berry, 1975, p. 55 (part).

Diagnosis: The new species is placed in the genus Pelophryne by having the fingers and toes with a peculiar, fleshy web. A small Pelophryne, adult males 16–17 mm; tips of fingers expanded into truncate discs; disk of third finger slightly smaller than tympanum; tibiotarsal articulation of adpressed limb reaching to posterior corner of eye; dorsum clay brown, with a cruciform pattern outlined by darker bands; creamy band extending from below eye to groin, merging on flank with creamy abdomen with small dark spots; males with mandibular spines and nuptial pad.

...

Fig. 3. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views of male holotype of Pelophryne ingeri sp. nov. (KUHE 15647). Scale bar=10 mm.

Holotype: KUHE 15647, an adult male collected near a pond in Genting Highlands, State of Pahang, Malaysia (..., 850 m a.s.l.) by M. Matsui and K. Araya on 17 January 1993.

Paratype: KUHE 35585, an adult male, data same as the holotype.

Etymology: The specific name is dedicated to the late Dr. Robert F. Inger, Emeritus Curator of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, for his great contributions to Southeast Asian herpetology, including taxonomy of Pelophryne.

Masafumi Matsui. 2019. A New Species of Pelophryne from Malay Peninsula (Anura, Bufonidae). Current Herpetology. 38(2); DOI: 10.5358/hsj.38.128 

[Herpetology • 2019] Cnemaspis ingerorum • A New Diminutive, Rupicolous Species of Day-gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from southern Sri Lanka

Cnemaspis ingerorum  

Batuwita, Agarwal & Bauer, 2019

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4565.2.6 

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Abstract

A new species of Cnemaspis is described from southern Sri Lanka. Cnemaspis ingerorum sp. nov. was previously confused with C. kumarasinghei. The new species differs from C. kumarasinghei in having a lower number of ventral scales across midbody, scales on ventral sides of forelimb and hind-limb smooth (versus keeled) and dorsal caudal scales unkeeled (versus keeled). Additionally, Cnemaspis ingerorum sp. nov. has a 4.5% uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence from C. kumarasinghei and is also geographically separated from this species. Existing molecular data supports C. silvula as the sister species of the new form, however, it differs from C. silvula by the absence of keeled pectoral and abdominal scales and dorsal scales, and the absence of keeled (versus keeled) subcaudal scales.

Keywords: Reptilia, Cnemaspis kumarasinghei, dry zone, forest, gekkonid, lizard

Sudesh Batuwita, Ishan Agarwal and Aaron M. Bauer. 2019. Description of A New Diminutive, Rupicolous Species of Day-gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from southern Sri Lanka. Zootaxa. 4565(2); 223–234. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4565.2.6  

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 twitter.com/SBatuwita/status/1103997284428271616

[Herpetology • 1993] Oreolalax multipunctatus • A New Frog of the Genus Oreolalax (Pelobatidae Megophryidae) from Sichuan, China

Oreolalax multipunctatus Wu, Zhao, Inger & Shaffer, 1993

Abstract

A new species of Oreolalax is described from southwestern Sichuan, China. The species is distinguished from its many congeners in Sichuan by its small size (males = 50 mm SVL), smooth dorsum, and its black-spotted body. Unlike all other congeners, tadpoles of the new form have black spots on the body and tail. 

Guan-Fu Wu, Er-Mi Zhao, Robert F. Inger, H. and Bradley Shaffer. 1993. A New Frog of the Genus Oreolalax (Pelobatidae Megophryidae) from Sichuan, China. Journal of Herpetology. 27(4); 410-413.

https://www.eeb.ucla.edu/Faculty/Shaffer/pubs/WuJHerp1993.pdf

[Herpetology • 2009] Ansonia echinata • A New Species of Bufonid (Anura: Bufonidae) from Borneo

Ansonia echinata Inger & Stuebing, 2009

Ansonia echinata Inger & Stuebing, 2009

Type locality: "Bukit Kana, Bintulu Division, Sarawak (2°39.363′ N 112°54.219′ E) [Malaysia] ... specimen collected at night perched on dead leaves at the edge of a small stream (3 m wide) in primary rain forest."

Holotype: FMNH 272784.

Inger, R.F. & R.B. Stuebing. 2009: New Species and New Records of Bornean Frogs (Amphibia: Anura). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Singapore, 57: 527-535.: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/57/57rbz527-535.pdf

[Herpetology • 2001] Ansonia anotis • A new species of toad of the genus Ansonia (Anura: Bufonidae) from Borneo

Abstract

A  new  species of  bufonid  frog  of  the genus Ansonia  is  described  from Sabah, northern Borneo.  The new species is distinguished  from  others in the genus by absence of a tympanum. The tadpole assigned to this  species is  also distinguished  from  other  known  larvae  of Ansonia  by  its  possession of  a distinct  abdominal  sucker behind  the oral disc and by  the absence of  an upper jaw  sheath. This  species is the twelfth  Ansonia  known  from  Borneo.

Key words: Bufonid  frog,  Ansonia,  Borneo

Inger, R.F., Tan, F.L. and Yambun, P. 2001. A new species of toad of the genus Ansonia (Anura: Bufonidae) from Borneo. Raffles. Bull. Zool. 49: 35–37

Genus Sabahphrynus from http://amphibiaweb.org/

Matsui, M., Yambun, P., and Sudin, A. 2007. 'Taxonomic relationshiops of Ansonia anotis Inger, Tan, and Yambun, 2001, and Pedostibes maculatus (Mocquard, 1890), with a description of a new genus (Amphibia, Bufonidae). Zoological Science, 24, 1159-1166.

http://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/85317/1/zsj%252E24%252E1159.pdf

[Herpetology • 1960] A review of the Oriental toads of the genus Ansonia Stoliczka

Ansonia hanitschi | Ansonia longidigita

Ansonia malayana | Ansonia minuta

All photo from: http://frogsoftheworld.webs.com/

Ansonia malayana from: http://amphibia.my/

INTRODUCTION 

The genus Ansonia Stoliczka has been distinguished from Bufo on the basis of larval and adult morphological characters, some of which are clearly related to the profound ecological differences between these genera (Inger, 1954). Conspicuous among these diagnostic and adaptive characters of Ansonia are: membranous webbing; slender body and long legs; streamlining of tadpoles; sucker- type oral disk of tadpoles; and relatively large and pigmentless ova. These modifications adapt Ansonia to a life in and along swift, rocky streams. Weak subarticular tubercles and lack of parotoid glands also distinguish Ansonia from Bufo, though they do not seem to be part of the adaptive complex. 

Dr. Joseph Tihen, University of Notre Dame, has examined most of the species of Ansonia included in this paper in connection with his own studies on Bufonidae and has called attention to several other differences between Ansonia and Bufo (Tihen, 1960) . Most of the species of Ansonia have very long tensor fasciae latae, whereas in Bufo this muscle is short. The quadratojugal, which in Bufo always touches the maxilla, is reduced in Ansonia and rarely reaches the maxilla. Finally, a well-developed sharp ridge crosses the posterior portion of the parasphenoid in Ansonia but is absent in Bufo. 

The tadpoles of Ansonia differ radically from those of Pedostibes Gunther and Pelophryne Barbour, the other abundant genera of Malaysian bufonids. The tadpole of Pedostibes has the subspherical body form and non-specialized oral disk of Bufo larvae. Larval Pelophryne, however, are extremely specialized for rapid development in very small pools of rain water; they apparently subsist during the entire larval period on yolk, have a degenerate oral disk, and lack a spiracle (Inger, 1960). 

Adult Pelophryne differ from Ansonia in having the coccyx fused to the sacrum (movable joint in Ansonia) and provided with a broad, horizontal, flattened plate (coccyx laterally compressed in Ansonia). 

In addition, the hands and feet of Pelophryne have a peculiarly thickened web. Adult Pedostibes differ from Ansonia in the possession of distinctly webbed outer fingers, dilated finger tips, well-developed subarticular tubercles, and parotoid glands. Pedostibes has marked arboreal tendencies. 

Ansonia malayana Inger, 1960

Type locality: "4,000 feet in the Larut Hills, Perak, Malaya", Malaysia.

Holotype: BM 1900.9.26.16.

Ansonia longidigita Inger, 1960

Type locality: "4,200 feet on Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo", Malaysia (Borneo).

Holotype: BM 99.8.19.12.

Ansonia hanitschi Inger, 1960

Type locality: "Kadamaian River at 4,200 feet on Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo", Malaysia (Borneo).

Holotype: BM 99.8.19.13.

Ansonia platysoma Inger, 1960

Type locality: "Luidan River near Bundu Tuhan at 3,300 feet on Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo", Sarawak, Malaysia.

Holotype: FMNH 28213.

Ansonia albomaculata Inger, 1960

Type locality: "1,400-2,000 feet above sea level, in the headwaters of the Baleh River, Third Division, Sarawak", Malaysia (Borneo).

Holotype: FMNH 81975.

Ansonia minuta Inger, 1960

Type locality: "in primary forest at 450 feet above sea level at Matang, First Division, Sarawak", Malaysia (Borneo).

Holotype: FMNH 77424.

Inger, R.F. 1960. A review of the Oriental toads of the genus Ansonia Stoliczka. Fieldiana: Zoology: 473-503.

http://www.archive.org/stream/reviewoforiental3943inge/reviewoforiental3943inge_djvu.txt

http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ansonia

[Herpetology • 2005] Xenophrys (Megophrys) parallela • new species (Anura: Megophryidae) from west Sumatra, Indonesia

Xenophrys (Megophrys) parallela (Inger & Iskandar, 2005)

synonym: Megophrys parallela Inger & Iskandar, 2005

Inger, R.F., Iskandar, D.T. 2005. A collection of Amphibians from West Sumatra, with a derscription of a new species of Megophrys (Amphibia: Anura). The Raffles bulletin of zoology. 53: 133-14: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/53/53rbz133-142.pdf

[Herpetology • 2009] Pelophryne saravacensis | Sarawak Dwarf Toad • new Bufonid (Anura: Bufonidae) from Borneo

Pelophryne saravacensis (Sarawak Dwarf Toad)

by FrogsofBorneo.org

Pelophryne saravacensis

Inger & Stuebing, 2009

Pelophryne saravacensis Inger & Stuebing, 2009

Type locality: "Sungai Segaham, Belaga District, Kapit Division, Sarawak (2°44′ N 113°55′ E)", Malaysia (Borneo).

Holotype: FMNH 223012.

Inger, R.F. & R.B. Stuebing. 2009: New species and new records of Bornean frogs (Amphibia: Anura). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Singapore, 57: 527-535.: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/57/57rbz527-535.pdf

[Herpetology • 2006] กบชะง่อนผาภูหลวง | Odorrana aureola | Phu Luang Rock Frog • Cascade Frog from Northeastern Thailand

กบชะง่อนผาภูหลวง

Odorrana aureola Stuart, Chuaynkern, Chan-ard & Inger, 2006

Abstract

We describe three new species of frogs from eastern Thailand based on old and new material. These represent a species of Megophrys from Chantaburi and Sa Kaeo Provinces, a species of Odorrana from Loei Province, and a species of Fejervarya from Ubon Ratchatani Province. Tadpoles are assigned to the new species of Megophrys and Fejervarya and to a recently described species of Rhacophorus from eastern Thailand using molecular identification.

ETYMOLOGY— The specific epithet aureola taken from aureolus (L.) for ornamented with gold, in reference to the diagnostic yellow markings on the limbs and flanks of this species.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY— Odorrana aureola is currently known only from Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary and Phu Kradueng National Park (Fig. 1) in Loei Province, Thailand. The Phu Luang specimens were collected at night (1915–2030 h) on boulders, rock outcrops and a fallen tree within 4 m of swift, 1–8-m-wide rocky streams near cascades, except FMNH 265922 was collected in the water at the edge of a 2-m-wide stream with slow current between two small dams. Odorrana aureola was collected in sympatry with an apparently undescribed species that morphologically resembles O. chloronota (e.g. FMNH 265931/THNHM 05126, FMNH 265932/THNHM 05127) but that is not the sister taxon of O. chloronota (Stuart et al., 2006).

Bangkok, Thailand, May 24, 2007 — A new species of color-changing frog found in northeastern Thailand sits motionless on the brown soil.

Named the Phu Luang Cliff frog after the national park where it lives, the amphibian, which can grow to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) has a naturally green body that can turn brown.

Scientists have found the rare frog in mountain waterfalls and creeks between 3,280 to 4,291 feet (1,000 to 1,500 meters) above sea level, Tanya Chan-ard, curator of Bangkok's National Science Museum, told the Associated Press.

The frog was discovered a few years ago, although scientists have only recently began studying it, Tanya said. --- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/photogalleries/wip-week30/photo4.html

แนะนำตัวอย่างอ้างอิง จากองค์การพิพิธภัณฑ์วิทยาศาสตร์แห่งชาติ

กบชะงอนผาภูหลวง (Odorrana aureola): http://tistr.or.th/tistr/code/tistrorg/ecological_note/en_200801.pdf

Stuart, B. L., Y. Chuayngern, T. Chan-ard and R.F. Inger. 2006. Three New Species of Frogs and a New Tadpole fromEastern Thailand. Fieldiana Zoology New Series. 111: 1-19.:

http://bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3158/0015-0754(2006)187%5B1:TNSOFA%5D2.0.CO%3B2

[Herpetology • 1997] กบชะง่อนผาอินทนนท์ | Odorrana (Rana) archotaphus | Doi Inthanon Rock Frog • ranid frog from Northern Thailand

Odorrana archotaphus from Species Index by Siamensis.org

กบชะง่อนผาอินทนนท์ | Doi Inthanon Rock Frog

Odorrana archotaphus (Inger and Chan-ard, 1997)

Synonym : Rana archotaphus Inger and Chan-ard, 1997

Abstract (1997)

A New species of Rana, superficially resembling Rana livida, has been found in northern Thailand. The new species is like R. livida in having grooves around the discs of the fingers and green color dorsally, and in lacking humeral glands. It is smaller than R. livida and further differs from the latter in having an outer metatarsal tubercle and in lacking sexual dimorphism in the size of the tympanum. It is compared with other species from Southeast Asia that share expanded finger tips, green dorsal coloration, and other characters.

Etymology.- Species name from archon (Gr), meaning ruler, and taphus (Gr), meaning grave. Doi Inthanon is the mountain where the ashes of a former King of Chiang Mai were buried.

Inger, R. F. and T. Chan-ard. 1997. A new species of ranid frog from Thailand, with comments on Rana livida (Blyth). Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 45:65–70. : http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/zoology/pdf/Inger_Chanard_1997.pdf

[Herpetology • 2006] อึ่งกรายหมอบุญส่ง | Xenophrys (Megophrys) lekaguli | Lekagul's Horned Frog • from Khao Soi Dao eastern Thailand

Figure 3 An adult male paratype of Megophrys lekaguli sp. nov. in life.

Xenophrys (Megophrys) lekaguli

(Stuart, Chuaynkern, Chan-ard & Inger, 2006)

Type locality: "Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chantaburi Province, Thailand, 600-700 m elevation".

Holotype: FMNH 213946.

Figure 2 The adult female holotype (fmnh 213946) of Megophrys lekaguli sp. nov. in preservative. Clockwise from upper left: palmar view of hand; plantar view of foot; lateral view of head; dorsal view; ventral view.

Synonyms

• Megophrys legkaguli Stuart, Chuaynkern, Chan-ard & Inger, 2006

• Xenophrys legkaguli (Stuart, Chuaynkern, Chan-ard & Inger, 2006)

Etymology

The specific epithet is a patronym for Dr. Boonsong Lekagul (1907–1992), biologist and conservationist, in recognition of his contributions to the herpetology of Thailand.

Comparisons

Twelve other species of Megophrys are known to occur within the vicinity of eastern Thailand (Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam): M. aceras (Boulenger, 1903), M. auralensis Ohler, Swan and Daltry, 2002, M. brachykolos Inger and Romer, 1961, M. jingdongensis Fei and Ye in Fei, Ye and Huang, 1983, M. kuatunensis (Pope, 1929), M. longipes (Boulenger, 1885), M. major (Boulenger, 1908), M. minor Stejneger, 1926, M. nasuta (Schlegel, 1858), M. pachyproctus Huang in Huang and Fei, 1981, M. palpebralespinosa Bourret, 1937, and M. parva (Boulenger, 1893).

• Megophrys lekaguli differs from M. brachykolos, M. kuatunensis, M. minor, M. pachyproctus, M. palpebralespinosa, and M. parva by having much larger body size (males with SVL 56.6–66.6 and females with SVL 71.8–94.0 in lekaguli; males < 48, females < 55 in brachykolos, kuatunensis, minor, pachyproctus, palpebralespinosa, and parva).

• Megophrys lekaguli differs from M. aceras, M. longipes, and M. nasuta by lacking a distinct palpebral projection (present in aceras, longipes, and nasuta).

• Megophrys lekaguli differs from M. jingdongensis by having toes with only a rudiment of webbing (toe webbing well developed in jingdongensis) and lacking subarticular tubercles on Fingers I and II (present in jingdongensis).

• Megophrys lekaguli most closely resembles M. auralensis and M. major.

• Megophrys lekaguli differs from M. auralensis by having teeth on vomerine ridges (no teeth on vomerine ridges in auralensis), having males with SVL 56.6–66.6 (males with SVL 71.0–76.9 in auralensis), lacking dermal fringes on toes (present in auralensis), and having Finger II longer than Finger IV (Finger II shorter than Finger IV in auralensis).

• Megophrys lekaguli differs from M. major by lacking dermal fringes on toes (present in major); lacking a light-colored upper lip stripe (present in major); having the narrow, external, vertical face of the upper eyelid dark brown with a light area in its center (uniformly dark brown in major); and having a single row of weakly visible asperities on the underside of the lower jaw (well-developed broad band of asperities in major).

Figure 4 Lateral view of tadpole (fmnh 266341/thnhm 05391) of Megophrys lekaguli sp. nov. Scale bar = 5 mm.

Figure 5 Mouthparts of tadpole (fmnh 266341/thnhm 05391) of Megophrys lekaguli sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Distribution and Ecology

Megophrys lekaguli is currently known from Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo Provinces, Thailand (Fig. 1). Frogs were collected in Sa Kaeo at night (1815–2126 h) on boulders and rock outcrops above a swift, rocky stream with waterfalls in hilly evergreen mixed with bamboo forest and on leaf litter next to a large tree root network 20 m from a swift, rocky stream in disturbed vegetation next to an abandoned road through hilly evergreen forest. Tadpoles were collected at night (2000–2015 h) swimming at the water surface in a 3-m-wide swift, rocky stream in hilly evergreen mixed with bamboo forest and in a shallow stream pool with silt substrate in disturbed vegetation next to an abandoned road through hilly evergreen forest. All five of the Sa Kaeo adult males were calling.

Remarks

The two species that most closely resemble the new species, M. auralensis and M. major, were placed in the genus Xenophrys Günther, 1864 by Khonsue and Thirakhupt (2001; M. major as M. lateralis) and Frost (2004) without supporting argument. Frost et al. (2006) argued for recognition of Xenophrys because their phylogenetic analysis recovered Megophrys as more closely related to Ophryophryne than to Xenophrys. However, their analysis was based only on a single species of Megophrys and Xenophrys, and we feel that this issue remains unresolved. We therefore leave the new species in the genus Megophrys, pending a phylogenetic analysis with improved taxonomic sampling.

Figure 1 Map of localities referred to in the text. 1 = Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary; 2 = Phu Kradueng National Park; 3 = Phu Sri Tan Wildlife Sanctuary; 4 = Phu Pha Namtip Non-hunting Area; 5 = Phu Jong-Na Yoi National Park; 6 = Pang Si Da National Park; 7 = Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary. Fieldwork was conducted at localities 1, 5, and 6 in this study.

References

Stuart, B. L., Y. Chuaynkern, T. Chan-ard & R.F. Inger. 2006: Three species of frogs and a new tadpole from eastern Thailand. Fieldiana. Zoology. New Series, 1543: 1-10.: doi: 10.3158/0015-0754(2006)187[1:TNSOFA]2.0.CO;2

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