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| Nanorana huangi Ji, Shi, Ma, Shen, Chang & Jiang, 2023 |
Abstract
An integrative study based on morphological data and mitochondrial molecular data of all known Nanorana (sensu stricto) species have revealed a new species from the Hengduan Mountains, N. huangi sp. nov. The new species can be distinguished from its congers by its: (1) medium body size, SVL 31.3–40.6 mm in adult males (n = 12), 39.2–48.1 mm in adult females ( n = 8); (2) absence of subarticular tubercles on fingers, with supernumerary tubercles below the base of the fingers small but distinct; (3) presence of dark dorsal patches without pale margins, generally creamy yellow ventral body basically, bright yellow ventral limbs; (4) small but prominent tympanum; (5) tibio-tarsal joint that reaches to the tympanum or the shoulder when hindlimbs adpressed forward towards body; (6) head length more than 30% of SVL. In addition, the new species can be separated from all other congeners by uncorrected genetic distances: ranging from 2.8%–7.5% of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 1.1%–2.1% of the 16S rRNA, and 7.5%–11.5% of the COI.
Keywords: Hengduan Mountains, Nanorana huangi sp. nov., new species, taxonomy
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| Variation of Nanorana huangi sp. nov. in life. A: paratype (CIB YN201909226), adult female; B: paratype (CIB YN201909227),adult male. 1: dorsolateral view, 2: ventral view. |
Nanorana huangi sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Nanorana huangi sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) medium body size, SVL 31.3–40.6 mm in adult males (n = 12), 39.2–48.1 mm in adult females (n = 8); (2) absence of subarticular tubercles on fingers with supernumerary tubercles below the base of the fingers small but distinct; (3) presence of dark dorsal patches without pale margins, generally creamy yellow ventral body, bright yellow ventral limbs; (4) small but prominent tympanum; (5) tibio-tarsal joint that reaches to the tympanum or the shoulder when hindlimbs adpressed forward towards body; (6) head length more than 30% of SVL.
Etymology: The new species is named after the Chinese herpetologist Yongzhao HUANG 黄永昭 for his contribution to herpetological taxonomy research in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The specific nomen “huang” also means yellow in Chinese, which also refers to the ventral coloration of the new species. For convenience in identification, we suggest the Chinese name “黄腹倭蛙” (huáng fù wō wā) for its yellow ventral coloration. The English common name is suggested as “Yellow–bellied Plateau Frog”.
Feirong JI, Shengchao SHI, Shun MA, Cheng SHEN, Liming CHANG and Jianping JIANG. 2023. A New Species of the Genus Nanorana Günther, 1896 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Hengduan Mountains of China. Asian Herpetological Research. DOI: 10.3724/ahr.2095-0357.2023.0025
