 |
| Anilany karsticola Petzold, Glaw, Mullin, Rakotoarison, Raselimanana, Crottini, Orozco-terWengel, Köhler, Prötzel, Vences, Hofreiter & Scherz, 2025 SALAMANDRA. 61(1) |
Abstract
The cophyline microhylid frog genus Anilany was established as a monotypic genus in 2016 for the miniaturised species Anilany helenae (Vallan, 2000), from the type locality Ambohitantely, a patch of rainforest surrounded by savannah in central Madagascar. Fieldwork conducted over the past two decades identified three unexpected populations from Bemaraha, Mahajanga, and Beanka from limestone caves near sea level in arid western and northwestern Madagascar, which were assigned to the genus Anilany based on diagnostic morphological features. We generated new data for specimens of the Ambohitantely, Bemaraha, and Mahajanga populations to test if all three populations belong to one or multiple species, studying their genetic variability based on mitochondrial (16S rRNA, COI) and nuclear (BDNF, RAG-1) genes, as well as morphological and osteological data. We identify several previously unknown diagnostic characters of the skeleton of Anilany compared to its closest relatives, Rhombophryne and Stumpffia, but no skeletal features that can be used to reliably distinguish among Anilany populations. Based on concordant genetic and morphological differences, we formally describe the population from the limestone karsts of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, formerly considered candidate species Anilany sp. Ca14, as a new species, Anilany karsticola sp. n. It can be distinguished from other Anilany lineages by larger size and shorter relative tibia length, uncorrected p-distances in DNA sequences of the 16S gene amounting to 2.6% and a lack of allele sharing in the analysed fragments of the nuclear genes BDNF and RAG-1. More data, especially advertisement call recordings and additional specimens, are required from other locations for a more thorough assessment of the genus and the distribution of its species.
Key words. Amphibia, Anura, Anilany karsticola sp. n., citizen science, iNaturalist, molecular genetics, morphology, osteology, systematics.
 |
| Anilany karsticola sp. n. from Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in life: (a, b) adult female holotype ZSM 21/2006 (FGZC 711) in dorsolateral (a) and ventral (b) views; (c, d) paratype ZSM 22/2006 (FGZC 712) in dorsolateral (c) and ventral (d) views; (e–g) paratype UADBA-A 25660 (FGZC 713) in dorsolateral (e) and ventral (f) views, with a closeup of the hand (g) illustrating expanded digits only present on fingers 3 and 4; (h, i) paratype UADBA-A 25663 (FGZC 714) in dorsolateral (h) and ventral (i) views. |
Anilany karsticola sp. n.
Diagnosis: The new species is assigned to the genus Anilany on the basis of its small size combined with expanded terminal discs and T-shaped terminal phalanges, short
parasphenoid, broad, angled postchoanal vomers, absence
of a neopalatine, and close genetic afnities with A. helenae. It can be distinguished from populations of its only
described congener, A. helenae, by larger adult body size
(adult SVL 15.7–17.4 mm vs. 13.8–15.0 mm Ambohitantely
and 12.7 mm Mahajanga) and relative shorter tibia length
(TIBL/SVL 0.42–0.46 vs. 0.48 Ambohitantely and 0.47–
0.50 Mahajanga). Furthermore, A. karsticola sp. n. is distinguished from all other genetic lineages of Anilany by the ...
Etymology: The species epithet karsticola is a first-declension noun derived from the German word ‘Karst’ (a craggy limestone formation), and the Latin lexical suffix ‘-cola’
meaning ‘inhabitor’, in refection of ecology of this species,
which has only been found in and near caves in limestone
karst within the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. The
species name is considered as a noun in apposition.
 |
| Anilany cf. helenae specimens from Anjajavy: (a) a putatively adult specimen in dorsolateral view showing contrasting chevron patterning dorsally, and visible expansion of terminal finger discs, typical of this genus. This specimen was observed in dry coastal forest (b); (c) an adult specimen in posterodorsolateral view, showing the dark dorsal chevron and expanded finger discs. Tis specimen was observed in a cave (d), above which was forest like that shown in (b). Photographs by Justin Gerlach |
Petzold, A., F. Glaw, K. E. Mullin, A. Rakotoarison, A. P. Raselimanana, A. Crottini, P. Orozco-terWengel, J. Köhler, D. Prötzel, M. Vences, M. Hofreiter and M. D. Scherz. 2025. A Preliminary Assessment of the Diversity in the Frog Genus Anilany (Microhylidae: Cophylinae) with Description of A New Species from western Madagascar. SALAMANDRA. 61(1); 70-94.
