Tuesday, April 19, 2016

[Herpetology • 2007] Ingerophrynus gollum • A New Species of Ingerophrynus (Anura: Bufonidae) from a Lowland Rain Forest in southern Peninsular Malaysia


Ingerophrynus gallum 
Grismer, 2007 

Abstract
A new, lowland species of the Ingerophrynus biporcatus group is described from the Endau-Rompin National Park in southern, peninsular Malaysia, Johor. It is unique in various aspects of morphology and color and is the third, new herpetological species discovered and described from this region of the Malay Peninsula since 2005. This suggests that the biodiversity of this part of southern Malaysia may be significantly underestimated and underscores the importance of continued field research in these lowland forests which are currently being logged and converted to oil palm plantations.


Ingerophrynus gallum 

Natural history. — All individuals were collected during the early evening following a brief period of afternoon precipitation. They were heard calling from a swampy area centered on a slow-moving, shallow stream beneath a closed-canopy portion of the lowland forest at the edge of the Visitor Center at Peta, indicating that they are adults. All were seated no higher than 0.5 m above the ground on dead vegetation along the streambed. The call was a low, diphasic, raspy, coughing sound.

Etymology. — The specific epithet is a noun in apposition in reference to ‘‘Gollum’’; a semiaquatic, large-headed, gracile-limbed fictional creature with a rasping cough who was created by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Hobbit (1937).



Grismer, L.L. 2007. A New Species of Ingerophrynus (Anura: Bufonidae) from a Lowland Rain Forest in southern Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Herpetology. 41(2): 225-230. DOI:  10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[225:ANSOIA]2.0.CO;2

 Perry L Wood Jr, Larry Lee Grismer, T.M. Youmans, N. Nasir, Norhayati Ahmad and Juliana Senawi. 2008. Additions to the Herpetofauna of Endau-Rompin, Johor, West Malaysia. Herpetological Review. 39(1); 112–121.