Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 2277 No. 1: 30 Oct. 2009
Type: Articles
Published: 2009-10-30
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2277.1.1
Page range: 1–13
Abstract views: 60
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of Litoria (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae) from the foothills of the Foja Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia

Terrestrial Vertebrates, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, S.A. 5000, Australia, and Conservation International, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia
Terrestrial Vertebrates, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, S.A. 5000, Australia, and Conservation International, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, Adelaide University
Department of Biology, Unversity of Manokwari, Papua, Indonesia
Komp Ariau Dunlop, Sentani, Papua, Indonesia
Amphibia Litoria Indonesia New Guinea new species Papua

Abstract

Litoria gasconi sp. nov. is described from low, forest-covered ridges on the southern edge of the Foja Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia. It is most similar to Litoria multiplica (Tyler, 1964) but can be differentiated from that species and all other described Litoria by a unique combination of characters including moderate size (males 39.3–41.6 SVL), green dorsum with yellow spots in life, relatively large eyes (EYE/SVL 0.12–0.15), dermal ridges below the vent and on the posterior edge of both fore and hindlimbs, complete absence of blue thigh and lateral colouration, and its unique advertisement call consisting of a single soft, distinctly pulsed chirp. New data on the morphology and ecology of the superficially similar and poorly known species Litoria multiplica are also presented. Recent surveys in the Foja Mountains have revealed a diverse frog fauna with numerous unrecognised or poorly known taxa; these ranges are likely to be a previously unrecognised and largely unexplored centre of tropical vertebrate endemism.

References

  1. Allison, A. & Kraus, F. (2000) A new species of frog of the genus Xenorhina (Anura: Microhylidae) from the north coast ranges of Papua New Guinea. Herpetologica, 56, 285–294.

    Beehler, B.M., Prawiradilaga, D.M., de Fretes, Y. & Kemp, N. (2007) A new species of smoky honeyeater (Meliphagidae: Melipotes) from western New Guinea. The Auk, 124, 3, 1000–1009.

    Diamond, J.M. (1982) Rediscovery of the yellow-fronted gardener bowerbird. Science, 216, 431–434.

    Flannery, T.F.& C.P. Groves (1998) A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies. Mammalia, 62, 387–390.

    Günther, R (2004) Two new treefrog species of the genus Litoria (Anura: Hylidae) from the west of New Guinea. Zoologische Abhandlungen, 54, 163-175.

    Günther, R. (2008) Two new hylid treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) from western New Guinea. Zoologische Abhandlungen (Dresden), 54, 163–175.

    Helgen, K.M. (2005) The amphibious murines of New Guinea (Rodentia, Muridae): The generic status of Baiyankamys and description of a new species of Hydromys. Zootaxa, 913, 1–20.

    Kraus, A & Allison, A (2004) A new species of Litoria from southeastern New Guinea. Herpetologia, 60, 97-103.

    Menzies, J.I. (2006) The frogs of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Pensoft, Sofia.

    Menzies, J.I., Richards, S.J. & Tyler, M.J. (2008) Systematics of the Australo-Papuan tree frogs known as Litoria bicolor (Anura: Hylidae) in the Papuan Region. Australian Journal of Zoology, 56, 257–280.

    Menzies, J.I. & Tyler, M.J. (2004) Litoria gracilenta (Anura: Hylidae) and related species in New Guinea. Australian Journal of Zoology, 52, 191–214.

    Richards, S.J., Iskandar, D.T. & Tjaturadi, B. (2002) Amphibians and Reptiles of the Dabra area Mamberamo Basin, Papua, Indonesia. P.76–79. In RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 25: A biodiversity assessment of the Yongsu Cyclops Mountains and the southern Mamberamo Basin. Eds S.J. Richards and S. Suryadi.

    Richards, S.J. & Oliver, P. (2006) Two new species of large green canopy-dwelling frogs (Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 1295, 41–60.

    Richards, S.J., Oliver, P.M., Dahl, C. & Tjaturadi, B. (2006) A new species of large green treefrog (Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) from northern New Guinea. Zootaxa, 1208, 57–68.

    Stattersfield, A.J., Crosby, M.J., Long A.J. & Wege, D.C. (1998) Endemic bird areas of the world. Birdlife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

    Tyler, M.J. (1964) Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 85. A new hylid frog from the eastern highlands of New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 2187.

    Tyler, M.J. (1968) Papuan Hylid frogs of the genus Hyla. Zoologische Verhandelingen, 96, 1–203