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| Hyloscirtus tolkieni Sánchez-Nivicela, Falcón-Reibán & Cisneros-Heredia, 2023 |
Abstract
Recent surveys in the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park revealed a striking new species of Hyloscirtus. The new species is easily diagnosed from all other congeners by its large body size (64.9 mm SVL in adult female); broad dermal fringes in fingers and toes; prepollex not projected into a prepollical spine and hidden under thenar tubercle; dorsum greyish-green, with paler-hued reticulum, yellow spots and black speckles; throat, venter, flanks and hidden surfaces of limbs golden-yellow with large black blotches and spots; fingers, toes and webbing yellow with black bars and spots; iris pale pink with black periphery. It is currently known only from its type locality, in the high montane forest on the southern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, southeastern Ecuador. The new species might be related to the H. larinopygion species group based on its morphology.
Keywords: Hylid frogs, Hyloscirtus larinopygion species group, Morona-Santiago, mountain forest, new species, taxonomy
“In a stream in the forest there lived a Hyloscirtus. Not a nasty, dirty stream, with spoor of contamination and a muddy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy stream with nothing in it to perch on or to eat: it was a Hyloscirtus-stream, and that means environmental quality.”
(adapted from the opening of “The Hobbit” by J. R. R. Tolkien)
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| Holotype of Hyloscirtus tolkieni sp. nov. (SVL = 64.9 mm) in life: a fronto-lateral view b lateral view of head c frontal view d dorso-lateral view. Photographs by Juan C. Sánchez-Nivicela. |
Hyloscirtus tolkieni sp. nov.
English common name: Rio Negro Stream Treefrog
Spanish common name: Rana de Torrente de Río Negro
Diagnosis: Hyloscirtus tolkieni differs from other congeneric species by the following combination of characters: large body size (64.9 mm SVL in a single adult female); broad dermal fringes in fingers and toes; discs slightly expanded; head 7% wider than long; snout truncate in dorsal and lateral view; tympanic membrane and annulus evident, partially covered by supratympanic fold; dentigerous process of vomers slightly separated, with 9–13 vomerine teeth; forearm robust and slightly thicker than arm; discs slightly expanded; broad dermal fringes in fingers and toes; prepollex enlarged, hidden under thenar tubercle and not projected into a prepollical spine; subarticular tubercles on hands and feet rounded and poorly projected; calcar tubercle present; dorsum greyish-green, with paler-hued reticulum, yellow spots and black speckles; throat, venter, flanks and hidden surfaces of limbs yellow with large black blotches and spots; fingers, toes and webbing yellow with black bars and spots; iris pale pink with black periphery, sclera greyish-blue, and nictitating membrane yellow (Figs 2–4).
Etymology: The specific epithet tolkieni is in honour of the writer, poet, philologist, and academic John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1892–1973), creator of Middle-earth and author of fantasy works like “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. The amazing colours of the new species evoke the magnificent creatures that seem to only exist in fantasy worlds.
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| Habitat of Hyloscirtus tolkieni sp. nov. General landscape (above, red arrow pointing to collection site); and at the collection site inside the forest (below). Photographs by Juan C. Sánchez-Nivicela. |
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| Dorsal colouration patterns in species of the northern clade of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion species group a H. antioquia b H. caucanus c H. criptico d H. larinopygion e H. lindae f H. pacha g H. pantostictus h H. princecharlesi i H. psarolaimus j H. ptychodactylus k H. sarampiona l H. sethmacfarlanei m H. staufferorum n H. tigrinus o H. tolkieni sp. nov. Illustrations by José M. Falcón-Reibán. |
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| Ventral colouration patterns in species of the northern clade of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion species group: a H. antioquia b H. caucanus c H. criptico d H. larinopygion e H. lindae f H. pacha g H. pantostictus h H. princecharlesi i H. psarolaimus j H. ptychodactylus k H. sarampiona l H. sethmacfarlanei m H. staufferorum n H. tigrinus o H. tolkieni sp. nov. Illustrations by José M. Falcón-Reibán. |
Juan C. Sánchez-Nivicela, José M. Falcón-Reibán and Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia. 2023. A New Stream Treefrog of the Genus Hyloscirtus (Amphibia, Hylidae) from the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park, Ecuador. ZooKeys. 1141: 75-92. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1141.90290
