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Issue: Vol. 4388 No. 1: 1 Mar. 2018
Type: Article
Published: 2018-02-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4388.1.1
Page range: 1–21
Abstract views: 131
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Son Tra Peninsula, central Vietnam

Asian Turtle Program - Indo-Myanmar Conservation, R.1806, 18th F., CT1 Bac Ha C14 Building, To Huu St., Nam Tu Liem District, Ha Noi, Vietnam. 2Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 85 Tran Quoc Toan St., Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, GSP-1, Moscow 119991, Russia. Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, 63 Nguyen Van Huyen St., Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy St., Cau Giay Dist., Ha Noi, Vietnam.
Department of Biology, University of Sciences, Hue University, 77 Nguyen Hue St., Hue City, Vietnam.
Academic Affairs Department, Da Nang of University, University of Education.
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, GSP-1, Moscow 119991, Russia. Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Hanoi, Vietnam
Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Canada M5S 2C6.
Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 85 Tran Quoc Toan St., Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung St., Da Nang City, Vietnam
Amphibia Acoustics Leptolalax applebyi species group tadpole morphology Son Tra Nature Reserve

Abstract

Morphological, acoustic and molecular analyses result in the description of Leptolalax rowleyae sp. nov., a new species of frog in the Megophryidae, belonging to the L. applebyi Rowley & Cao species group from central Vietnam. It differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological attributes: (1) adult SVL 23.4–25.4 mm in males and 27–27.8 mm in females; (2) presence of distinct dark/brown dorsolateral markings, including black spots on flanks; (3) pinkish milk-white to light brown chest and belly with numerous white speckles; (4) tympanum distinct; (5) absence of webbing or lateral dermal fringes on fingers and toes; (6) pectoral glands comparatively small (3.3–4.7% of SVL); (7) ventrolateral glands indistinct; and (8) iris bicolored with copper tint in upper half fading to golden in lower third of iris. The male advertisement call of the new species consists of 4–6 notes, lacking a distinct introductory note, with an average dominant frequency of 3.2–3.5 kHz. The description of the tadpole constitutes the first description of larval morphology for a member of the L. appleybi species group. Genetically, an uncorrected sequence divergence of 7.4% for 16S rRNA separates the new species from its two closest relatives, L. ardens and L. melicus in the L. applebyi species group.

 

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