Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: Cruciform eye reveals new species of direct-developing frog (Strabomantidae, Pristimantis) in the Amazonian Andes

The discovery of new vertebrate species in developed countries is still occurring at surprising rates for some taxonomic groups, especially the amphibians and reptiles. While this most often occurs in under-explored areas, it occasionally still happens in well-inhabited regions. We report such a case with the discovery and description of U. mahonyi sp. nov., a new species of frog from a highly populated region of New South Wales, Australia. We provide details of its morphology, calls, embryos and tadpoles, and phylogenetic relationships to other species of eastern Uperoleia. We also provide the results of targeted surveys to establish its distribution and provide observations of its habitat associations. As a consequence of these surveys, we comment on the likely restricted nature of the species' distribution and habitat, and place this in the context of a preliminary assessment of its putative conservation status, which should be assessed for listing under the IUCN's red list. We note this species, which is morphologically distinct, has gone unnoticed for many decades despite numerous ecological surveys for local development applications.

We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genus MicrylettaDubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described as Micryletta aishani sp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognised Micryletta species by 3.5–5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30–800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genus Micryletta in Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, Microhyla inornata (= Micryletta inornata) and Microhyla steinegeri (= Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.

The East African rainforests are areas of prime biogeographical importance. The significance of the amphibian fauna of the region as a biogeographical indicator group, first recognized by SCHIOTZ (1981) is reiterated. SCHIOTZ' 1981 list of East African rainforest amphibians is corrected and updated. A new species of dwarf toad from the rainforest of the Uzungwe Mountains, Tanzania is described. The new species is tentatively assigned to the genus Nectophrynoides Noble 1926, and comment on the relationships of the new species and of the Nectophrynoides-Didynamipus group is included. It is suggested that many of the African bufonid genera, especially those including dwarf forms, are currently poorly defined; primitive characters, characters involving the loss of structures and characters subject to a high level of homoplasy often being used. Some possible solutions to this problem are given. The need for a better understanding of the biology of rainforest Amphibia, especially the dwarf species, is seen to b...

Herein we describe a new species of toad (genus Incilius) from Cerro Bollo in western Panama. The new species is unusual among toads in being earless, having sexual dichromatism, hands and feet with webbed digits that lack tubercles, and hypertrophied testes. The type locality of the new species is separated from the type locality of its congener, I. peripatetes, by ∼100 kilometers.

We describe a new, medium-sized species of terrestrial frog of the genus Phrynopus from a single locality in the central Andes of Peru (Departamento de Huánuco) at 3,730 meters of elevation. Phylogenetic analyses supported Phrynopus remotum sp. nov. as an independent lineage, sister to most of its congeners. The new species is morphologically distinguishable by the presence of small tubercles on upper eyelids and heels, an areolate venter, and the absence of dorsolateral folds or ridges. This species inhabits the highlands adjacent to the Marañón Dry valley. The only sympatric amphibian species recorded is the marsupial frog Gastrotheca peruana.

We describe a new species of frog, Pristimantis leucorrhinus sp. nov., from the Cordillera Yanachaga, YanachagaChemillén National Park, on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Central Peru. The new species belongs to the P. unistrigatus group and is characterized by the absence of a tympanum, the presence of horn-like tubercles on upper eyelids and a characteristic colour pattern.

Abstract: I describe a new species of frog of the Hylarana signata species complex from Mt. Busa, Sarangani and South Cotobato provinces, southern Mindanao Island, Philippines. The new species is distinguished from all other members of the H. signata complex by a unique combination of characters of external morphology, biochemical allelic variation, and the species’ position in phylogeny, estimated by analysis of multilocus DNA sequence data. Justification for recognition of the new species is further supported by marked sequence divergence in mitochondrial and nuclear genes. The new species has been collected only once in >20 yr despite targeted survey efforts on Mindanao, and multiple possible explanations are available to explain its extreme rarity. The recognition of this species, on the basis of a single previously misidentified specimen, accentuates the importance of collecting large sample sizes of specimens during faunistic surveys. Recognition of a new species from a locality that has now been h...

We describe a new species of frog of the genus Kaloula (family Microhylidae) from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia based on morphological evidence. The new species has previously been mistaken with K. baleata, which it most closely resembles. Kaloula indochinensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: maximum snout–vent length 53.7 mm; finger tips expanded into wide discs; the majority of specimens with two subarticular tubercles on the fourth toe; inner and outer metatarsal tubercle slightly raised, inner metatarsal tubercle shorter than first toe; absence of dorsolateral stripe; and large, bright, orange-yellow axillary and inguinal spots.

A new genus and species of microhylid frogs are described from localities at elevations of 2500–2960 m on the eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru. These are the first microhylids recorded from the Peruvian Andes and they differ from all other neotropical microhylids by their lack of a tympanum, tympanic annulus and stapes. Phrynopus carpish is removed from Leptodactylidae and placed in Microhylidae. Several novel morphological characters for microhylids are described, among them dermal body spines, expanded nuptial pads in males and heterotopic cartilages. Osteological descriptions and comparison of the new genus with Nelsonophryne revealed a number of intriguing characters that may prove to be useful in phylogenetic studies. Among these are the presence of a double, rather than single, wall between the olfactory capsules in one genus and the presence of a pair of previously undescribed bones in the nasal capsules of one species in each genus. In addition, some of these taxa have spinous projections on the ventral surface of the hyoid plates, and one species has only seven presacral vertebrae, owing to the fusion of Presacrals I and II. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 149, 583–609.

We describe three new species of poison frogs discovered on recent expeditions throughout Central Peru. Two of these were discovered from the Serranía de Contamana, a small mountain range near the town of Contamana on the Río Ucayali in Central Peru. The first of these species is similar in appearance to Ameerega petersi, but the two species differ in call and size, have allopatric distributions, and are not close relatives according to a Bayesian phylogeny. This species is also similar morphologically to A. pongoensis, although the latter lacks flash marks above the groin and has a distinct advertisement call. Our phylogenetic data suggest that this species is closely related to A. bassleri, a species which is much larger and usually possesses a brightly-colored yellow or orange dorsum. The second new species has a red dorsum and is similar in appearance to A. bassleri, A. cainarachi, and the third new species described herein, but can be distinguished by its unusual advertisement call. The third new species in this paper was discovered in the upper Huallaga Valley near the towns of Tocache and Juanjui. This species resembles certain populations of A. bassleri and the second new species (mentioned above), but can be diagnosed by its advertisement call which is significantly slower than its closest relatives; approximately one-half the speed of A. bassleri and one-quarter the speed of the second new species. Finally, we discuss the biogeography of the A. bassleri clade in light of these new discoveries. The biogeography of this clade is consistent with the disturbance-vicariance hypothesis, and climatic fluctuations were likely a major driver in the divergence and speciation of this group. We also present a phylogeny with increased sampling in the A. petersi clade and discuss the taxonomy of the group.

We describe three new species of frogs from eastern Thailand based on old and new material. These represent a species of Megophrys from Chantaburi and Sa Kaeo Provinces, a species of Odorrana from Loei Province, and a species of Fejervarya from Ubon Ratchatani Province. Tadpoles are assigned to the new species of Megophrys and Fejervarya and to a recently described species of Rhacophorus from eastern Thailand using molecular identification.

A new species of frog from the Eleutherodactylus nigrovittatus group is described from cloud forests in northern Santander. The new species is most similar to E. nigrovittatus of the Amazon basin but is equally closely related to the Andean E. latens and E. mantipus found on the Central and Western cordilleras. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the primitive habitat for frogs of this species group is páramo with subsequent downward movement.

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of LondonVolume 53, Issue 1 p. 22-23 3. Description of a new Species of Frog from Asia Minor. G. A. Boulenger F.Z.S., G. A. Boulenger F.Z.S.Search for more papers by this author G. A. Boulenger F.Z.S., G. A. Boulenger F.Z.S.Search for more papers by this author First published: January 1885 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1885.tb02882.xCitations: 4AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume53, Issue1January 1885Pages 22-23 RelatedInformation

We report on a collection of 74 frogs, 11 lots of frog eggs or tadpoles, and two snakes collected from the Chapare Region in the yungas of the eastern Andean Cordillera de Cochabamba, Bolivia. Collecting localities range from approximately 300 m to >3200 m in elevation. The specimens pertain to 23 species, probably 10 of which are undescribed. We describe four new species of frogs, one each in the genera Bufo, Centrolenella, Colostethus, and Hyla, and one new species of snake, genus Dipsas. We place Atelopus rugulosus in synonymy with A. tricolor.

A new species of toad in the Bufo typhonius species group is described from Para, Brazil.The new species appears to be the smallest member of this group.It occurs in sympatry at the type locality with Bufo typhonius.In this locality, B. typhonius breeds in large congregations around small ponds or temporary aquatic habitats, whereas the new species breeds singly, primarily in the fallen fruits of the Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excelsa.Introduction While conducting field work in the state of Para, Brazil, at a site near the Rio Xingu, I frequently observed toads of the Bufo typhonius complex.Ecological observations and morphological data subsequently revealed that two species were present.One, a relatively large species, is referable to Bufo typhonius Linnaeus.The other, smaller species is new and is herein described as:Bufo castaneoticus, sp.n. (Figs.1A, 2)