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Issue: Vol. 5792 No. 2: 13 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-13
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.2.7
Page range: 355-369
Abstract views: 128
PDF downloaded: 16

Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826 is a nomen dubium: an historical analysis of its original description supports the prevailing usage of Bufo japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1838

Department of Biology; Victor Valley College; 18422 Bear Valley Road; Victorville; California 92395; USA; Sektion Herpetologie; Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels; Museum Koenig; Adenauerallee 127; 53113 Bonn; Germany
Sektion Herpetologie; Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels; Museum Koenig; Adenauerallee 127; 53113 Bonn; Germany; Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Nihonmatsu-cho; Sakyo; Kyoto 606-8501; Japan
Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Nihonmatsu-cho; Sakyo; Kyoto 606-8501; Japan; Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Hon-machi; Sakyo; Kyoto 606-8501; Japan; Institute for Environment and Development; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; UKM Bangi; Selangor 43600; Malaysia; and Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Chulalongkorn University; Bangkok 10330; Thailand
Amphibia Heinrich Boie nomenclatural stability phonetic drift type locality Dejima Japanese herpetofauna

Abstract

The nomenclatural status of Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826, described based on specimens collected by Jan Cock Blomhoff, has long been uncertain. Although this binomen has priority over the widely used B. japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1838, its application has been hindered by lost type material and misinterpretation of its original description. Through a detailed textual analysis of Boie’s work and corroboration from historical sources, we demonstrate that terms previously interpreted as type localities (“Vitikairu, Fikikojeru et Nakfudo”) are in fact phonetic transcriptions of vernacular Japanese names for toads. Furthermore, Boie’s description lists a broad distribution across Japan, not one restricted to Nagasaki. With Blomhoff’s collections including regions now known to be inhabited by three distinct, hybridizing species of Japanese Bufo (B. japonicus, B. formosus, B. torrenticola), it is impossible to determine which species Boie’s specimens represented. We therefore conclude that Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826 must be considered a nomen dubium and that the prevailing use of B. japonicus should be maintained to ensure nomenclatural stability and accuracy.

 

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How to Cite

Kaiser, H., Kaiser, C.M. & Nishikawa, K. (2026) Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826 is a nomen dubium: an historical analysis of its original description supports the prevailing usage of Bufo japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1838. Zootaxa, 5792 (2), 355–369. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.2.7