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| Odorrana kweichowensis
Li, Xu, Lv, Jiang, Wei & Wang,. 2018
Guizhou Odorous Frog || DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5695
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Abstract
The genus Odorrana is widely distributed in the mountains of East and Southeastern Asia. An increasing number of new species in the genus have been recognized especially in the last decade. Phylogenetic studies of the O. schmackeri species complex with wide distributional range also revealed several cryptic species. Here, we describe a new species in the species complex from Guizhou Province of China. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA indicated the new species as a monophyly clustered into the Odorrana clade and sister to O. schmackeri, and nuclear DNA also indicated it as an independent lineage separated from its related species. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from its congeners based on a combination of the following characters: (1) having smaller body size in males (snout-vent length (SVL) <43.3 mm); (2) head longer than wide; (3) dorsolateral folds absent; (4) tympanum of males large and distinct, tympanum diameter twice as long as width of distal phalanx of finger III; (5) two metacarpal tubercles; (6) relative finger lengths: II < I < IV < III; (7) tibiotarsal articulation reaching to the level between eye to nostril when leg stretched forward; (8) disks on digits with circum-marginal grooves; (9) toes fully webbed to disks; (10) the first subarticular tubercle on fingers weak; (11) having white pectoral spinules, paired subgular vocal sacs located at corners of throat, light yellow nuptial pad on the first finger in males.
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| Figure 6: Living Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. from its type locality, Lengshihe Nature Reserve in Jinsha County, Guizhou Province, China. (A & B) Dorsolateral view and ventral view of an adult male (voucher number: CIBjs20150803002), respectively. (C & D) Dorsolateral view and ventral view of an adult female (voucher number: CIBjs20150803006), respectively. Photographs by S. Z. Li. |
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| Figure 7: Color variations in Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. (A) and (B) Dorsolateral view and ventral view of an adult female from Jinsha County, Guizhou Province, China, respectively. (C) Dorsolateral view of a female from Meitan County, Guizhou Province, China. (D) Dorsolateral view of a female from Zheng’an County, Guizhou Province, China. Photographs by S. Z. Li. |
Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. is assigned to genus Odorrana based upon molecular phylogenetic analyses and the following morphological characters: dorsum is green; tips of digits dilated, tapering, disks with circum-marginal grooves, and vertical diameter longer than horizontal diameter in the disks; supernumerary tubercle below the base of fingers III and IV; feet fully webbed to disks, without tarsal fold; the first finger thick and nuptial pad distinct.
Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) having smaller body size in males (SVL <43.3 vs. SVL >48 mm in many other species); (2) head longer than wider; (3) dorsolateral folds absent; (4) tympanum of males large and distinct, tympanum diameter in males twice as long as width of distal phalanx of finger III; (5) two metacarpal tubercles; (6) relative finger lengths: II < I < IV < III; (7) tibiotarsal articulation reaching to the level between eye to nostril when leg stretched forward; (8) disks on digits with circum-marginal grooves; (9) toes fully webbed to disks; (10) the first subarticular tubercle on fingers weak; (11) having white pectoral spinules, paired subgular vocal sacs located at corners of throat, light yellow nuptial pad on the first finger in males.
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| Figure 10: Habitats of Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. (A) Habitats in the type locality, Lengshuihe Nature Reserve, Jinsha County, Guizhou Province, China; insert is the photo for one pair of amplexed male (smaller) and female (larger) found on the stone in the stream. (B) Habitats in Xieba Town, Zheng’an County, Guizhou Province, China. (C) Habitats in Shilian Town, Meitan County, Guizhou Province, China. Photographs by S. Z. Li. |
Ecology: To present, Odorrana kweichowensis sp. nov. has been found in three localities: Lengshuihe Nature Reserve in Jinsha Co., Meitan Co. and Zheng’an Co. in Guizhou Prov. of China. Geographical distances between these localities were from 89 to 173 km. Population from the Lengshuihe Nature Reserve inhabited broad streams, and near the riparian areas, surrounded by evergreen broadleaved forests (Fig. 10A). Populations from Meitan Co. and Zheng’an Co. inhabited broad slow-flowing rivers surrounded by paddy field (Figs. 10B and 10C). All of the localities were at elevations 717–766 m. All adult individuals that we found appear on the stones in the streams at night (07:30–12:00 pm) with water pH 6.8–7.1 and water temperature 15–23 °C. Tadpoles could be found at daytime and night. Amplexed individuals could be found in the streams in the type locality (Fig. 10A). Three sympatric amphibian species Fejervarya multistriata, Rana zhenhaiensis, and Polypedates megacephalus were found in Meitan Co. and Zheng’an Co., but only one sympatric amphibian species Amolops chunganensis was found in the Lengshuihe Nature Reserve in the type locality.
Etymology: The specific epithet “kweichowensis” refers to the distribution of this species, Guizhou Prov., China. The “kweichow” is an old spelling and a transliteration for “Guizhou.” We propose the common English name “Guizhou Odorous Frog” for this species.
Conclusion:
We described a new species of the odorous frog genus Odorrana (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) from Guizhou Prov. of China, and provide evidence for its phylogenetic allocations. O. kweichowensis sp. nov. was only known from a narrow range in the northwestern part of Guizhou Prov. of China, and occurred from mountain streams at mid and low elevations similar to most odorous frogs. In our fieldwork, the new species was found to be seriously threatened by local villagers and construction of dams and roads. Thus, further more detailed investigations on the species are urgent to ascertain its distributional range and population status. With our description, we contributed to a better knowledge of the diversity of the genus Odorrana in the southwestern China, and thus suggested that more comprehensive phylogeographic studies would highlight radiation patterns of the group.
Shize Li, Ning Xu, Jingcai Lv, Jianping Jiang, Gang Wei and Bin Wang. 2018. A New Species of the Odorous Frog Genus Odorrana (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) from southwestern China. PeerJ 6:e5695. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5695
