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| Zhangixalus thaoae T. T. Nguyen, H. H. Nguyen, Ninh, Le, Bui, Orlov, Hoang & Ziegler, 2024 |
Abstract
We describe a new treefrog species from Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Zhangixalus based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsum green, smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1–32.2 in males); (2) fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; (3) absence of dermal folds along limbs; (4) absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal surface of the head and body green without spots; (2) axilla and groin cream with a black blotch; (3) ventral cream without spot; (4) chin creamy with grey marbling; anterior part of the thigh and ventral surface of tibia orange without spots; posterior parts of thigh orange with a large black blotch; (5) ventral side of webbing orange with some grey pattern (6) iris red-bronze, pupils black; (7) finger webbing formula I1¼-1¼II1-2III1-1IV, toe webbing formula I½-½II0-1½III¼-1¾IV1¾-½V. Phylogenetically, the new species is nested in the same subclade as Z. jodiae, Z. pinglongensis, and Z. yaoshanensis, with genetic distances ranging from 3.23% to 4.68%. The new species can be found in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of about 1,883 m a.s.l. This new discovery brings the number of known genus Zhangixalus species to 42 and the number of species reported from Vietnam to 10.
Key words: 16S rRNA gene, Lao Cai Province, molecular phylogeny, morphology, new species
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| Adult male holotype (IEBR A 5136) of Zhangixalus thaoae sp. nov., in life, from Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. |
Zhangixalus thaoae sp. nov.
Diagnosis: The new species is placed in the genus Zhangixalus based on some morphological characters: dorsum green and smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1–32.2 in males); fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; absence of dermal folds along limbs; absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection (Fig. 2).
Etymology: The species is named after the first author’s wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, as a token of gratitude for her understanding and strong support of his research activity. We recommend Thao’s Tree Frog as the English common name and Ếch cây thảo as the Vietnamese common name.
Tao Thien Nguyen, Huy Hoang Nguyen, Hoa Thi Ninh, Linh Tu Hoang Le, Hai Tuan Bui, Nikolai Orlov, Chung Van Hoang and Thomas Ziegler. 2024. Zhangixalus thaoae sp. nov., A New green treefrog Species from Vietnam (Anura, Rhacophoridae). ZooKeys. 1197: 93-113. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.104851