Abstract
Two new species of montane, torrent-dwelling toads of the genus Ansonia from Fraser’s Hill and Sungai Lembing, Pahang, West Malaysia are described based on morphological and color pattern characteristics. The new species from Sungai Lembing most closely resembles A. leptopus of Borneo but differs from it in numerous aspects of its mandibular asperites, degree of toe webbing, presence of warts at the angle of the jaw, size of tubercles around the tympanum, having an inner metatarsal tubercle, lacking rows of tubercles on the back, having paired vocal slits, and having a light dorsal spot between the scapulae. The new species from Fraser’s Hill most closely resembles A. malayana but differs from it in its greater degree of dorsal tuberculation, more webbing on the third and fifth toes and less webbing on the first and fourth toes, and various aspects of coloration. Finally, we express the importance of continuing to conduct montane surveys in remote areas as well as in those areas that are considered to be well-studied.
Key words: Ansonia; Banjaran Timur; Banjaran Titi Wangsa; Fraser’s Hill; Sungai Lembing; West Malaysia
FIG. 1.— Distribution of Ansonia on the Malay Peninsula. State boundaries are present only for Malaysia. Closed circles are the known localities for A. jeetsukumarani. Shaded circles are the known localities for A. latiffi.
Ansonia latiffi sp. nov.
Synonym: Ansonia leptopus Grandison 1972: 49
Ansonia sp. Dring 1979:188.
Holotype.— ZRC 1.12418, an adult female from the Sungai Lembing logging camp (3u 52.260 N; 103u 39 0.150 E), Pahang, West Malaysia, collected at 255 m on 1 August 2002 by J. A. McGuire, L. L. Grismer, J. L. Grismer, R. Escobar, Norsham, S. Y., and T. M. Youmans.
Natural history.— The Sungai Lembing specimens were collected between 2100 and 2300 h no more than 1 m above the ground from within rock cracks along a rock wall bordering a road cut at the edge of a closedcanopy hill dipterocarp forest. Small streams were within 100 m of the collection site but no tadpoles or calling males were observed. Additional specimens collected by Grandison (1972) from Gunung Benom were obtained in a 200 m stretch of a fast-flowing tributary of the River Krau about 500 m down stream from their base camp at 233 m bordering primary forest. Two more specimens were collected by Dring (1979) on the bank of the Sungai Kelebang at 43 m on Gunung Lawit.
Etymology.— The specific epithet honors Professor Dato’ Dr. Abdul Latiff Mohamad for his extensive contributions to the natural history of Malaysia and to the biologists studying Malaysian natural history.
Ansonia latiffi photo by http://iwana.com.my/
Ansonia jeetsukumarani sp. nov.
Figs. 7–11.
Synonym: Bufo penangensis, Smith, M. A. 1922:282.
Holotype.— ZRC 1.12413, a gravid female from a small stream along Bishop’s Trail (3u 43.2349 N; 101u 44.8919 E) at 1125 m on Fraser’s Hill, Pahang, West Malaysia collected on 26 August 2006 by L. Grismer, T. R. Szutz and T. M. Youmans.
Natural history.— All specimens were collected between 1930–2330 h on rocks and from small leaves approximately 0.5–1.5 m above the ground near small streams. All were found in closed canopy hill dipterocarp forest except for ZRC 1.12414, which was collected off a leaf above a roadside stream at the edge of a closed canopy forest. No tadpoles or calling males were observed at either locality.
Etymology.— The specific epithet honors Jeet Sukumaran for his past, present and future contributions to our knowledge of the biology of Malaysia’s amphibians and for his untiring and invaluable contributions as a
collaborator.
Ansonia jeetsukumarani photo by http://iwana.com.my/
Key to the Known Species of Ansonia
from Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia
1. Large yellow wart at the angle of the jaw_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2
Large yellow wart absent from the angle of the jaw_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3
2. Dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles present _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia latirostra
Dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles absent_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia malayana
3. Maximum adult SVL $ 29 mm_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4
Maximum adult SVL # 28 mm_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5
4. First finger reaching the tip of the second_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia lattifi
First finger not reaching the tip of the second _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6
5. Light interscapular spot absent_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia endauensis
Light spot interscapular present _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8
6. First and second toes lacking phalanges free of webbing_ _ _ _Ansonia penangensis
First and second toes with all phalanges free of webbing_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7
7. Body marked with greenish-yellow irregular lines_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Ansonia siamensis
Body lacking greenish-yellow lines _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia tiomanica
8. Tubercle rows on back; gular spots present_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ansonia jeetsukumarani
Rows of dorsal tubercles absent; gular spots absent_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Ansonia kraensis
Wood, Perry L., Jr., L. Lee Grismer, Norhayati Ahmad and Juliana Senawi. 2008. Two new species of torrent-dwelling toads Ansonia Stoliczka, 1870 (Anura: Bufonidae) from peninsular Malaysia. Herpetologica. 64 (3): 321-340 : http://www.nhm.ku.edu/rbrown/Wood.etal08.jeetsukumarani.pdf
