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| Brachycephalus ibitinga Condez, Monteiro, Malagoli, Trevine, Schunck, Garcia & Haddad, 2021 |
Abstract
Four species of pumpkin toadlets are currently recognized by the extreme condition of hyperossification in the skull and vertebral column within the genus Brachycephalus. In addition to their larger body size, relative to other congeneric species, Brachycephalus darkside, Brachycephalus ephippium, Brachycephalus garbeanus, and Brachycephalus margaritatus share remarkable osteological features, such as the large paravertebral plates forming an ornamented dorsal bone shield, visible through the integument. We add to the current knowledge of this group by analyzing its diversity and describing a new hyperossified species from some important Atlantic Forest remnants in southeastern Brazil, including those bordering São Paulo, the largest and most populous city in South America. The new species is diagnosed by a combination of morphological, osteological, and bioacoustic characters, with further evidence of mtDNA sequences to confirm its distinction from the other congeners. The parotic and paravertebral bone plates externally bordered with a rough and pale contour can readily distinguish the new species from the other hyperossified species within Brachycephalus. The new species is widely distributed along the Serra do Mar mountain range, including the regionally named Serra de Paranapiacaba, in elevations from 700 to 1000 m above sea level (a.s.l.), in the central coast of the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. We discuss valuable morphological characters within this group of species, reinforce the need for further studies, and highlight the relevance of protected areas for biodiversity conservation in metropolitan regions.
KEYWORDS: Bone shield, Brachycephaloidea, Hyperossification, Miniaturization
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| Brachycephalus ibitinga sp. nov. CFBH 44450, adult female, Parque das Neblinas, municipality of Bertioga. Photo by T.H. Condez. |
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| Brachycephalus ibitinga sp. nov. CFBH 42337, adult male, Reserva Biologica de Paranapiacaba, municipality of Santo André. Photo by T.H. Condez. |
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| Brachycephalus ibitinga sp. nov. CFBH 19348, adult female, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Nucleo Curucutu, municipality of Itanhaém. photo by L.R. Malagoli. |
Brachycephalus ibitinga sp. nov.
Brachycephalus cf. nodoterga: Pie et al. (2013:167), in part
Brachycephalus sp.: Trevine et al. (2014:129), in part; Bornschein et al. (2019a:16), in part
Brachycephalus sp. 4: Condez et al. (2020:671), in part
Etymology.— The specific epithet ibitinga is a Portuguese noun derived from the indigenous Tupi-Guarani
words yby + tinga. These words mean respectively ‘‘land’’
and ‘‘white,’’ which together compose a name applied to
describe the fog, or mist condition characteristic from the
mountains at the Atlantic Forest, where the new species
occurs. In Portuguese, the translation for this weather
condition is ‘‘Neblina’’: the whitish perception and limited
visibility typically caused by fine water droplets suspended in
the atmosphere. The type locality ‘‘Parque das Neblinas’’ is
also named after this atmospheric condition.
Thais H. Condez, Juliane P.C. Monteiro, Leo R. Malagoli, Vivian C. Trevine, Fabio Schunck, Paulo C.A. Garcia and Célio F.B. Haddad. 2021. Notes on the Hyperossified Pumpkin Toadlets of the Genus Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) with the Description of A New Species. Herpetologica. 77(2); 176-194. DOI: 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-20-00031
Nova espécie de sapinho-pingo-de-ouro é descoberta em Unidades de Conservação do estado de São Paulo
