Wednesday, December 27, 2023

[Herpetology • 2023] Vietnamophryne aurantifusca • A New Species of Vietnamophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from Northeastern Vietnam


Vietnamophryne aurantifusca
Ninh, Le, Bui, H.Q. Nguyen, Orlov,  Moseyko, Le, S.N. Nguyen, Hoang, Ziegler & T.T. Nguyen, 2023
  

Abstract
A new species of the genus Vietnamophryne is described from Vietnam on the basis of two specimens collected from Tuyen Quang Province, Northeastern Vietnam. The new species is morphologically most similar to Vietnamophryne occidentalis from Thailand, however, it differs from the latter by having large black blotches in the lower jaw region, and a yellow-orange chest and belly. The genetic distance between the new species and other Vietnamophryne taxa is > 2.13% (16S mtDNA gene fragment). Vietnamophryne aurantifusca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of Vietnamophryne by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: Size medium (SVL 17.6–18.2 mm in males); head wider than long; tympanum medium; finger I longer than half of finger II; dorsal skin relatively smooth with some round nodules, concentrated in the middle of the back, arranged along the length of the back, with a prominent ridge along the spine; Dorsum orangish-brown entirely and paler on margin of back with a small brownish ridge along the spine; sides brownish with creamy patches and orange spots; ventral surface orange, with grey marbling, most intense on the throat, ventral side of arms and thighs, and ventral surfaces of limbs dark grey with some orange spots.

Keywords: Amphibia, Genetic distance, morphology, Vietnamophryne aurantifusca sp. nov., taxonomy, Tuyen Quang Province



Vietnamophryne aurantifusca sp. nov. 
Nhái bầu lùn nâu cam



Hoa Thi Ninh, Linh Tu Hoang Le, Hai Tuan Bui, Huy Quoc Nguyen, Nikolai Orlov, Olga Bezman Moseyko, Manh Van Le, Sang Ngoc Nguyen, Chung Van Hoang, Thomas Ziegler and Tao Thien Nguyen. 2023. A New Species of Vietnamophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from Northeastern Vietnam.  Zootaxa. 5374(4); 505-518. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5374.4.3
Researchgate.net/publication/375767969_A_new_species_of_Vietnamophryne_from_NE_Vietnam