Abstract
Faunal studies of Hainan, China, have recently been conducted to better understand the biodiversity of pristine montane rainforest on the island. A new green treefrog species, Rhacophorus yinggelingensis, is described. This new medium-sized species possesses the combination of characteristics: (1) snout rounded, without protruding process; (2) green dorsum with few fine white spots, dorsolateral folds absent; (3) skin on dorsum smooth, flanks and venter granulate; (4) metatarsal skinfolds faint; (5) fingers and toes webbed; (6) front of thigh yellow and red-tinged, rear of thigh and inner side of tibia red; (7) white- tipped tuberculous dermal ridges on cloaca present, not well developped; (8) iris silvery, partly light golden in upper half. Among the green Rhacophorus frogs from China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Laos, R. yinggelingensis can be distinguished from R. omeimontis, R. pingbianensis, R. gongshanensis, R. duboisi, R. dugritei, R. puerensis and R. zhaojuensis by lack of black or brown spots or patches on dorsum. The new species seems closely related to R. arvalis, R. aurantiventris, R. chenfui, R. dorsoviridis, R. hungfuensis, R. moltrechti, R. nigropunctatus, R. prasinatus, R. taipeianus, and R. yaoshanensis on the basis of adult morphology. This species is currently known only from high-altitude (at or above 1,300 m) primary rainforest in the Yinggeling mountain range of Hainan Island.
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