Maximum Snout-vent Length Research Articles

Another new species of Dibamus Dumril & Bibron, 1839 (Squamata: Dibamidae) from Nui Chua National Park, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam.

A new species of dibamid lizard, Dibamus deimontis sp. nov., is described based on eight specimens collected from the highlands of Nui Chua Mountain within Nui Chua National Park, Ninh Thuan Province, southern Vietnam. Dibamus deimontis sp. nov. co-occurs with the recently described Dibamus tropcentr, but is recorded at higher elevations (670700 m a.s.l. vs. 200280 m a.s.l.), and in a different habitat and microhabitats than the previous species. Our study represents the first report on the near sympatric occurrence of two Dibamus species. The new species can be distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of characters: rostral, labial and nasal sutures incomplete; two to three postoculars; three to five scales on the posterior edge of infralabial; 2225 midbody scale rows; 193225 ventral scales; 4755 subcaudal scales; 115 presacral and 27 tail vertebrae (in a single male specimen examined); and maximum snout-vent length 136.2 mm. We suggest this species should be considered as Vulnerable (VU) following the IUCNs Red List categories. Our study brings the number of species in the genus Dibamus to 26; Dibamus deimontis sp. nov. is the eighth species of Dibamus recorded in Vietnam, and underlines the importance of the country as a local center of reptilian diversity in Southeast Asia.

A new species of terrestrially-nesting fanged frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.

Herein, we describe a new species of terrestrially-nesting fanged frog from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. Though male nest attendance and terrestrial egg deposition is known in one other Sulawesi fanged frog (Limnonectes arathooni), the new species exhibits a derived reproductive mode unique to the Sulawesi assemblage; male frogs guard one or more clutches of eggs festooned to leaves or mossy boulders one to two meters above small slow-moving streams, trickles, or seeps. This island endemic has thus far been collected at three sites on Sulawesi: one in the Central Core of the island, and two on the Southwest Peninsula-south of the Tempe Depression (a major biogeographical boundary). The new Limnonectes has the smallest adult body size among its Sulawesi congeners-with a maximum snout-vent length of about 30 millimeters. Beyond its unique reproductive behavior and body size, the species is further diagnosed on the basis of advertisement call and genetic distance from sympatric fanged frogs. The discovery and description of the new species highlights the remarkable reproductive trait diversity that characterizes the Sulawesi fanged frog assemblage despite that most species in this radiation have yet to be formally described.

Hiding on jagged karst pinnacles: A new microendemic genus and species of a limestone-dwelling agamid lizard (Squamata: Agamidae: Draconinae) from Khammouan Province, Laos.

We describe a unique new species and genus of agamid lizard from the karstic massifs of Khammouan Province, central Laos. Laodracon carsticola Gen. et sp. nov. is an elusive medium-sized lizard (maximum snout-vent length 101 mm) specifically adapted to life on limestone rocks and pinnacles. To assess the phylogenetic position of the new genus amongst other agamids, we generated DNA sequences from two mitochondrial gene fragments (16S rRNA and ND2) and three nuclear loci ( BDNF, RAG1 and c-mos), with a final alignment comprising 7 418 base pairs for 64 agamid species. Phylogenetic analyses unambiguously place the new genus in the mainland Asia subfamily Draconinae, where it forms a clade sister to the genus Diploderma from East Asia and the northern part of Southeast Asia. Morphologically, the new genus is distinguished from all other genera in Draconinae by possessing a notably swollen tail base with enlarged scales on its dorsal and ventral surfaces. Our work provides further evidence that limestone regions of Indochina represent unique "arks of biodiversity" and harbor numerous relict lineages. To date, Laodracon carsticola Gen. et sp. nov. is known from only two adult male specimens and its distribution seems to be restricted to a narrow limestone massif on the border of Khammouan and Bolikhamxai provinces of Laos. Additional studies are required to understand its life history, distribution, and conservation status.

A new species of Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae) from southern Peru.

We describe a new harlequin frog (genus Atelopus) from the cloud forest near Anchihuay (Anco District, Ayacucho Department) from 2000 to 2150 m elevation in southern Peru, representing the first record for the genus in the Department of Ayacucho. The new species has a maximum snout-vent length of 21.5 mm in females and 21.6 mm in males, and resembles A. erythropus in general appearance, small size, and dorsal coloration. The new species can be distinguished from A. erythropus by its unique pattern of ventral coloration, dorsal skin texture, and snout shape. We detected the presence of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in individuals of the new species. This pathogen is threatening the survival of harlequin frogs throughout the Neotropics. In addition to chytridiomycosis, habitat loss further threatens the single locality where the new species is known to occur.

The first juvenile specimen of Eolacerta (Squamata: Eolacertidae) from the early–middle Eocene of the Messel Pit (Germany)

We describe the first juvenile specimen of an eolacertid lizard. The material comes from one of the most important Eocene localities, the Messel Pit in Germany. The new specimen provides unique information on the early ontogeny of Eolacerta, the largest known lizard from Messel, with a maximum snout-vent length greater than 30cm and a mass approaching 1kg. The specimen described here, with a SVL of 11.3cm and an estimated mass of 21g, can be allocated more precisely to Eolacerta robusta based on the co-occurrence and the combination of following features: (1) the nasal process of premaxilla is long; (2) position of lacrimal (being more anteriorly located in Stefanikia siderea); (3) the postorbital process of jugal is broad; (4) the ratio of the anterior and posterior region of the frontal between the sulcus interfacialis; (5) a mid-parietal constriction of the parietal table is present; (6) the interparietal shield broadens anteriorly; (7) the transverse sulcus is straight anteriorly. The incipient character of the parietal constriction and the slightly lower number of maxillary teeth (28 vs. 30–32 in adults) are consistent with a juvenile animal. Very important is evidence for the presence of pterygoid dentition (pointed teeth arranged in a single line) and the absence of palatine dentition. Ceratobranchial I is observed for the first time for this species, and its shape and length are very similar to those of Lacertidae. There are 27 presacral vertebrae in the juvenile, as in adults. In the juvenile specimen, ventral keel on the centrum is present in all vertebrae. The ventromedial portion of the ischium is well preserved here and gives information on the exact shape of this portion, at least in juvenile form. The scalation, as far as it is preserved, is similar to that of Stefanikia, except that the rectangular subdigital scales are longer in comparison with their width, and therefore have a broader appearance.

A new species of Dibamus Duméril Bibron, 1839 (Squamata: Dibamidae)from Pulau Manado Tua, Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Based on three adult specimens, viz. two males and a female that form the type series, a new species of blind or worm-like lizards is described from Pulau (= Island) Manado Tua, a little volcanic island located off the northern tip of the Minahassa Peninsula of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Dibamus manadotuaensis sp. nov. differs from all congeneric species in the following unique combination of characters: maximum snout-vent length 135 mm; tail length up to 14.2 mm (i.e., 12-13% of SVL); labial and nasal sutures present and complete; four (three) postoculars; four to six scales on posterior edge of infralabial; 26-28 midbody scale rows; 30-33 transverse scale rows posterior to head; 25 transverse scale rows anterior to vent; 218-232 ventral scales; 39 subcaudal scales; relative size of frontal to frontonasal 0.68-0.73; relative size of interparietal to surrounding scales 0.67-1.43; 132-135 presacral and 21-24 postsacral vertebrae. Morphologically, D. manadotuaensis is most similar to D. celebensis, which occurs on mainland Sulawesi.Dibamus manadotuaensis sp. nov. represents the twenty-fourth species of Dibamus and the third species of this genus recorded from the Sulawesi region. At the same time, it is the only squamate species considered endemic for the islands of the Bunaken Marine National Park, to which Manado Tua belongs.

Lizards in the suburbs: a single-garden study of a small endemic New Zealand skink (Oligosoma aeneum)

ABSTRACTDetailed investigations of ecology and life history of lizards in New Zealand/Aotearoa are needed to inform their conservation and management. An early demographic study of copper skinks (Oligosoma aeneum) in a suburban garden was undertaken in Lower Hutt using mark–recapture methods, sampling weekly from March 1971 to December 1973. Oligosoma aeneum were seen on 1372 occasions, with 972 captures of 169 individuals. The maximum snout–vent length was 66 mm, 33% of skinks had complete tails, and colour differences suggested sexual signalling and warrant further study. Most captures occurred over November–March, with fewest over June–August. The estimated spring/summer population size in the garden (± SEM) was 83.6 (± 9.4) skinks, and the annual survival rate (± SEM) was 38.0% (± 16.0%). This is one of the few New Zealand lizard studies that have extended through all months of the year and it adds to limited information on lizard populations in suburban areas.

MtDNA differentiation and taxonomy of Central Asian racerunners of Eremias multiocellata-E. przewalskii species complex (Squamata, Lacertidae)

We provide an integrative analysis of the diversity of the E. multiocellata—E. przewalskii species complex in Central and Middle Asia using morphological and molecular (COI DNA-barcoding) data. We report preliminary data on mtDNA variation within this group and clarify the taxonomic status and distribution of the members of the species complex. We also provide a description of a new Eremias species from Eastern Kazakhstan and western Mongolia, where it occurs in sympatry with E. multiocellata sensu stricto, from which it can be clearly differentiated using both morphological and molecular characters. The new species, described as Eremias dzungarica sp. nov., is assigned to the subgenus Pareremias on the basis of the following features: subocular not reaching mouth edge; one frontonasal; two supraoculars; the row of small granular scales between supraoculars and frontal with frontoparietals absent; distance between the femoral pore rows being wide; femoral pore rows not reaching knee-joint; coloration pattern with light colored ocelli with black edging. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners on the basis of the following morphological attributes: a medium-sized lacertid lizard, maximum snout-vent length (SVL) = 64.5 mm, tail being ca. 1.5 times longer than body length (SVL), hindlimbs relatively long (hindlimb length to SVL ratio 0.46); subocular scale not reaching mouth edge, in touch with 6–8 supralabials; males with bright coloration consisting of 2–3 dorsolateral rows of light-colored ocelli with thick black edging; the ventral row of ocelli in life is greenish to bluish; dorsal pattern consisting of black irregular blotches along the middorsal line. We also report on the high genetic and morphological diversity of E. multiocellata in Mongolia and China, synonymize E. m. bannikowi with the nominative form E. m. multiocellata, discuss variation within E. przewalskii, synonymize E. p. tuvensis with the nominative form E. przewalskii, provide new data on E. cf. reticulata and E. m. tsaganbogdensis, confirm validity and clarify distribution ranges of E. stummeri, E. szczerbaki and E. yarkandensis and discuss further progress on taxonomic studies of the E. multiocellata—E. przewalskii species complex.

A New Species ofMesaspis(Squamata: Anguidae) from the High Cuchumatanes of Guatemala

Abstract We describe a new species of anguid lizard of the genus Mesaspis from the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes of northwestern Guatemala. This species reaches a maximum snout–vent length of about 72 mm, making it much smaller than Mesaspis moreletii. In the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes it occurs sympatrically with Mesaspis moreletii temporalis, the only such instance of congeneric sympatry known in Nuclear Central America. The new species appears most similar to the widely distributed species M. moreletii, which may be polytypic. Mesaspis cuchumatanus may be distinguished from M. moreletii by usually having expanded supranasals, 16 longitudinal scale rows, small and granular scales covering the side of the neck from about the level of upper edge of auricular opening to ventrolateral fold, and smaller body size.

Age estimation of Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner, 1902) in the vicinity ofÇanakkale by skeletochronology

In this study, age estimation using skeletochronology was done in 43 specimens (6 males, 29 females, 8 juv.) of Anatololacerta anatolica living in the vicinity of Canakkale. When the cross-sections taken from phalanges were examined, the median age for the Canakkale population was 4 years. The maximum age was calculated as 10 years for female individuals, and the maximum snout-vent length (SVL) of female individuals was measured as 74.18 mm. The mean SVL was 57.39 (SD = 4.6) mm for males and 63.62 (SD = 8.62) mm for females. The age at sexual maturity was determined as 3 years for both sexes of this species. As a result of correlation analysis, a strong correlation was found for both males (r: 0.845) and females (r: 0.886) in terms of age and SVL. These specimens were also examined for morphological properties and pholidosis characters.

Nuevo <i>Liolaemus</i> (Iguania: Liolaemidae) con novedoso carácter morfológico, de la frontera entre Argentina y Chile

Liolaemus belongs to the Eulaemus subgenus, that is included in the Liolaemus montanus group or section, and is distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The species members of this clade inhabit arid and high altitude environments, usually above 2800 m, and have a strong tendency to herbivory and a viviparous reproductive type. In a herpetological expedition to the Salta Province highlands, Argentina, in April 2012, we collected individuals of this new species for their description. The specimens were collected with loop, slaughtered by anesthesia and deposited in the herpetological collection of Fundación Miguel Lillo in Tucuman (FML). To characterize this new taxon, we analyzed 144 external morphological characters, referring primarily to lepidosis, color pattern, and body proportions, comparing with data from 66 constituent species of the L. montanus group (45 taxa from collection specimens and 21 from literature). Description of the colors in life was made in the field and based on photographs taken during the capture. The species described in this work inhabits a very narrow mountain range area in Salta Province (Argentina), and the Atacama Region (Chile), always above the 3600 m. This new taxon shows characteristics of lepidosis and color patterns clearly different from the other species members of the L. montanus group: the maximum snout-vent length is 72.9 mm; shows 74-96 scales around midbody, 89-104 dorsal scales between the occiput and hind limbs, 92-109 ventrals, precloacal pores are evident in both, males and females, and supernumerary pores in males. Also, the presence of postcloacal pores stands out as unique among all Liolaemus. This is a new character, not only for the genus, but also to all Reptilia, becoming a morphological discovery of great importance, since in reptiles only precloacal and femoral pores are known. Based on our field observations, this new Liolaemus is related to rocky environments, which are used as refuge by this omnivorous species, and when handled, very aggressive males.

A New Species of Narrow-Mouthed Frog of the GenusKaloulafrom Eastern Indochina

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 Andean Species of Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylidae:Phyllodactylus) from Ecuador

We describe a new species of Phyllodactylus from a xerophytic forest in the Andes of southern Ecuador. The new species differs from other mainland species of Phyllodactylus from South America by the combination of the following characters: preanal scales similar in size to other ventral scales, well-defined longitudinal rows of tubercles dorsally, a medial longitudinal row of enlarged caudal scales ventrally, tubercles on dorsal surface of tibia present, enlarged postanal scale absent, tubercles on dorsal surface of forearm absent, interorbital scales homogeneous in size, enlarged scales on proximal one-fourth of tail absent, gular scales granular, and maximum snout–vent length of 55 mm. Even though morphological similarity suggests a close relationship between the new species and Phyllodactylus reissii, phylogenetic analyses of 10 nuclear and mitochondrial genes contradict this hypothesis. We also report the first records of Phyllodactylus kofordi for Ecuador.

Rediscovery of the Sri Lankan ‘house gecko’ Hemidactylus pieresii Kelaart (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) with a redescription of Hemidactylus depressus Gray

Hemidactylus pieresii Kelaart, a species first described from Kandy, Sri Lanka, in 1852 but not recorded since, is redescribedfrom two recently-discovered populations, one at the type locality and another in the rainforests of the island’s south-westernlowlands. It is shown to be similar to H. depressus (in the synonymy of which it has been since 1935), from which it is distin-guished by the possession of 53–58 (vs. 35–41) paravertebral tubercles, 17–19 (vs. 13–16) longitudinal rows of middorsaltubercles, possessing relatively small (vs. large) and closely (vs. widely) spaced middorsal tubercles, 1–3 (vs. no) postcloacalspurs, chocolate-brown (vs. light brown) coloration in life, and nape with distinct black longitudinal stripes (vs. without blackstripes). Hemidactylus pieresii, a member of the H. brooki group, is distinguished from all species of Hemidactylus in Sri Lankaand peninsular India by the combination of the following additional characters: maximum snout-vent length 79.2 mm; ventralscales across midbody, 32–39; dorsal scales heterogeneous; ventral scales smooth, with 3 serrae; precloacal-femoral pores17–20 on each side, separated mesially by 1–3 poreless scales; subcaudals smooth, the median row enlarged; supralabials toangle of jaws, 11 or 12; subdigital lamellae on digit IV of pes, 10 or 11; general body colour chocolate-brown; nape with dis-tinct black longitudinal stripes. The identity of H. pieresii is stabilized through the designation of a neotype. Unlike most otherspecies of Hemidactylus, H. pieresii appears to be restricted to rainforests. Hemidactylus depressus is also redecribed from freshly collected material from Sri Lanka and its syntype BMNH RR1962.190 (65.6 mm SVL) is designated lectotype.

Sexual differences in head form and diet in a population of Mexican lance-headed rattlesnakes, Crotalus polystictus

Sexual dimorphism of phenotypic traits associated with resource use is common in animals, and may result from niche divergence between sexes. Snakes have become widely used in studies of the ecological basis of sexual dimorphism because they are gape-limited predators and their head morphology is likely to be a direct indicator of the size and shape of prey consumed. We examined sexual dimorphism of body size and head morphology, as well as sexual differences in diet, in a population of Mexican lance-headed rattlesnakes, Crotalus polystictus, from the State of Mexico, Mexico. The maximum snout–vent length of males was greater than that of females by 21%. Males had relatively larger heads, and differed from females in head shape after removing the effects of head size. In addition, male rattlesnakes showed positive allometry in head shape: head width was amplified, whereas snout length was truncated with increased head size. By contrast, our data did not provide clear evidence of allometry in head shape of females. Adults of both males and females ate predominately mice and voles; however, males also consumed a greater proportion of larger mammalian species, and fewer small prey species. The differences in diet correspond with dimorphism in head morphology, and provide evidence of intersexual niche divergence in the study population. However, because the sexes overlapped greatly in diet, we hypothesize that diet and head dimorphisms in C. polystictus are likely related to different selection pressures in each sex arising from pre-existing body size differences rather than from character displacement for reducing intersexual competition. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106, 633–640.

Rivaling the world's smallest reptiles: discovery of miniaturized and microendemic new species of leaf chameleons (Brookesia) from northern Madagascar.

BackgroundOne clade of Malagasy leaf chameleons, the Brookesia minima group, is known to contain species that rank among the smallest amniotes in the world. We report on a previously unrecognized radiation of these miniaturized lizards comprising four new species described herein.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe newly discovered species appear to be restricted to single, mostly karstic, localities in extreme northern Madagascar: Brookesia confidens sp. n. from Ankarana, B. desperata sp. n. from Forêt d'Ambre, B. micra sp. n. from the islet Nosy Hara, and B. tristis sp. n. from Montagne des Français. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes of all nominal species in the B. minima group congruently support that the four new species, together with B. tuberculata from Montagne d'Ambre in northern Madagascar, form a strongly supported clade. This suggests that these species have diversified in geographical proximity in this small area. All species of the B. minima group, including the four newly described ones, are characterized by very deep genetic divergences of 18–32% in the ND2 gene and >6% in the 16S rRNA gene. Despite superficial similarities among all species of this group, their status as separate evolutionary lineages is also supported by moderate to strong differences in external morphology, and by clear differences in hemipenis structure.Conclusion/SignificanceThe newly discovered dwarf chameleon species represent striking cases of miniaturization and microendemism and suggest the possibility of a range size-body size relationship in Malagasy reptiles. The newly described Brookesia micra reaches a maximum snout-vent length in males of 16 mm, and its total length in both sexes is less than 30 mm, ranking it among the smallest amniote vertebrates in the world. With a distribution limited to a very small islet, this species may represent an extreme case of island dwarfism.

Growth, size and age at maturity of the agile frog ( Rana dalmatina) in an Iberian Peninsula population

The mean age of a population of agile frogs ( Rana dalmatina) from the Iberian Peninsula was estimated using mark and recapture and skeletochronology. Life-history parameters, including growth rate, body length, age and size at maturity, sexual dimorphism and longevity, were studied. The regression between age and snout–vent length (SVL) was highly significant in both sexes. Males reached sexual maturity at two years of age, although sometimes they can reach it at only one year of age. The average SVL at maturity was 51.75 mm (standard error (SE) = 0.71; n = 45). Females reached sexual maturity at two years of age with an average SVL of 62.14 mm (SE = 2.20; n = 14). A subset of the female population reached sexual maturity at three years of age. Growth was rapid until sexual maturity was reached. There was an overlap of SVL between different age classes. Growth was continuous, fulfilling the conditions of Von Bertalanffy's model. The growth coefficient ( K) was 0.840 in males and 0.625 in females. The maximum SVL was greater in females (73.00 mm) than in males (59.50 mm). Sexual dimorphism was significantly biased towards females in all age classes. The maximum longevity observed was 6 years in females and 8 years in males. Management strategies for agile frogs should take into account factors such as these life-history characteristics.

Systematics of Limnonectes (Taylorana) Dubois

The speciose genus Limnonectes exhibits a broad range of reproductive behavior and sizes at maturity. Two Southeast Asian species are near the low end of the size range and near one extreme of reproductive habits (their larvae are said to have direct development). Limnonectes hascheanus and L. limborgi are small, having a maximum snout-vent length of less than 40 mm, with reduced webbing and females with enlarged, pigment-less ova. The distinctions between these species have not been clear and L. limborgi has been treated as a junior synonym of L. hascheanus. We show that these two nominal species differ in size, development of odontoids in adult males, in extent of webbing, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. Their geographic ranges scarcely overlap, with L. hascheanus apparently being restricted to the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and L. limborgi being distributed in a large arc from southern Myanmar northward to northern Thailand and Laos before curving around to central Laos, northeastern Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. Because the holotype of L. limborgi appears to have been lost, we describe a neotype, using a specimen from southern Myanmar studied by Boulenger.

Sexual and Seasonal Dimorphism in the Cumberland Plateau Woodland Salamander, Plethodon kentucki (Caudata: Plethodontidae)

Previous studies revealed sexual dimorphism in terrestrial plethodontid salamanders of the genus Plethodon for greater snout–vent length (SVL) at first reproduction and maximum SVL in females, presence of a mental gland in males, larger vomeronasal organ (VNO) in males, and greater internarial width in males. Here I describe additional sexual dimorphism as well as seasonal (i.e., breeding versus non-breeding) dimorphism in Plethodon kentucki. I measured morphological variables on preserved specimens of adult individuals that were collected from Wise Co., Virginia during the breeding season (n = 26 females and 30 males) and non-breeding season (n = 29 females and 30 males). Residuals from regressions of morphological variables on SVL (all log10-transformed) and a principal component analysis on the residuals demonstrate that body mass, trunk length, and tail width are greater in females. These female features may be associated with selection for greater fecundity and increased fat storage to enhance reproductive success. The head is relatively larger in males and has a longer snout with a broader tip (i.e., greater orbitonarial distance and internarial width). Such dimorphism for the snout increases during the breeding season. Sexually dimorphic features in males may be associated with selection for increased mating success in terms of finding reproductive females (i.e., the enlarged snout may be related to a larger VNO and enhanced chemosensory function) and increased competitive ability during competition for mating opportunities (i.e., the larger head may result from selection for better fighting ability). An increase in vent length for both sexes may facilitate the indirect transfer of sperm during the breeding season.

A Minute New Ecuadorian Andean Frog (Anura: Strabomantidae, Pristimantis)

We describe a new species of Pristimantis from a cloud forest at 2450–2800 m in the Cordillera Oriental in southern Ecuador (Zamora Chinchipe). The new species has a maximum snout–vent length of 17.9 mm (average SVL of 21 males = 12.3 mm ± 1.2, and of 19 females = 15.9 mm ± 1.3). This new species is the second smallest frog from Ecuador and smallest Pristimantis. Morphologically and phylogenetically, the new species is similar to P. caeruleonotus and P. colodactylus. It is distinguished from them and its congeners by its size, tuberculation, a distinct color pattern consisting of tan blotches on dorsum, spots on a brown venter, minute brown spots on anterior and posterior surfaces of the thighs, and other morphological features. Determination of small body size in frogs is discussed and meristic data of 40 minute frogs are compiled.