Wednesday, September 24, 2014

[Herpetology • 2003] Rhombophryne coronata • New microhylid frog (Microhylidae) with A Supraocular Crest from central eastern Madagascar


Fig. 1. Male holotype of Rhombophryne (Plethodontohylacoronata (ZFMK 57459)
from Ankeniheny, central eastern Madagascar.

Rhombophryne coronata (Vences & Glaw, 2003)
Synonym: Plethodontohyla coronata Vences & Glaw, 2003

We describe a new microhylid frog from the rain forests of central eastern Madagascar. Plethodontohyla coronata reaches 21–23 mm snout–vent length and is similar to Plethodontohyla serratopalpebrosa by having a supraocular crest of three dermal spines. It differs by having a smaller body size, shorter hind limbs, relative finger and toe length, and smaller relative tympanum size. Its first toe is very short, reminiscent of the state in miniaturized species of Stumpffia, but the presence of vomerine and maxillary teeth clearly confirm the assignation of P. coronata to Plethodontohyla. The advertisement call of this fossorial frog is a series of notes with complex frequency modulation.


Vences, M. and Glaw, F. 2003. New microhylid frog (Plethodontohyla) with a supraocular crest from Madagascar. Copeia. 789-793.