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Issue: Vol. 4860 No. 2: 12 Oct. 2020
Type: Article
Published: 2020-10-12
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4860.2.10
Page range: 293–300
Abstract views: 255
PDF downloaded: 6

A description of the tadpole of the Critically Endangered Botsford’s leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella botsfordi) with comments on the distribution and conservation status of the species

Asian Turtle Program—Indo-Myanmar Conservation, CT1 Bac Ha C14 Building, To Huu Road, Ha Noi, Vietnam. EDGE of Existence Programme, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom.
Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
Center for Rescue and Conservation of Organism, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam.
Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Totnes Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 7EU, UK.
Center for Rescue and Conservation of Organism, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam.
Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia. Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
Amphibia

Abstract

We describe the tadpole of the Botsford’s leaf-litter frog Leptobrachella botsfordi, a species endemic to Mount Fansipan in northwest Vietnam, for the first time. Tadpoles of this species were found in steep, fast-flowing streams at elevations between 2500–2600 m asl. We also report a previously unknown locality for this species on Mount Fansipan, which increases the species’ known Extent of Occurrence from 8 km2 to 36 km2. Our findings will inform subsequent conservation initiatives for this poorly known and highly threatened species.

 

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