Pelophryne linanitensis, Das, 2008

Das, Indraneil, 2008, Two New Species Of Pelophryne (Anura: Bufoidae) From Gunung Murud, Sarawak (Northwestern Borneo), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 435-443 : 439-440

Pelophryne linanitensis , new species

( Figs. 3–4 )

Material examined. – Holotype: ZRC 1.11906 (ex-ID 7740) from the summit of Batu Linanit (03°55'54.7"N 115°31'05.7"E; 2,250 m a.s.l.), Gunung Murud, Sarawak, East Malaysia ( northwestern Borneo ), I. Das coll., 10 May.2003.

Paratypes: ZRC 1.11907 –1.11910 (ex-ID 7744; 7859–61); four paratopotypes; other data as for holotype, except all paratypes were collected on 11 May.2003. Type locality is indicated in Figure 5 .

Diagnosis. – A mid-sized (SVL to 18.6 mm in adult males) species of Pelophryne , diagnosable from congeneric species in showing the following combination of characters: head wider than long; snout vertical in profile; eye diameter less than snout length; tympanum exposed, over half diameter of eye; forehead lack pustulose tubercles; tubercles on dorsum not spinose and not surrounded by ring of asperities; digits swollen but not dilated; Finger I without a free phalange; webbing on Toe V to tip; subarticular tubercles distinct; mandibular spines absent; nuptial pads present; cloacal opening at lower level of thighs; primary colour of dorsum brown, with an hour-glass pattern; dark throat spots absent; pale flank stripes present and dark U-shaped mark on venter absent.

Description of the holotype (adult male). – A mid-sized species of Pelophryne, SVL 18.6 mm; habitus slender, with a relatively narrow waist ( Fig. 3 ); head much wider than long (HW/HL ratio 1.20), slightly depressed; snout squarish at the tip, when viewed dorsally, extending slightly beyond mandible, and vertical in lateral view; nares narrow-oval, wider horizontally, not elevated, laterally positioned, about midway between tip of snout and anterior corner of eye (E- N/E-S ratio 0.50); internarial distance greater than distance from anterior margin of eye to nostril (IN/E-N ratio 1.25); eyes large (ED/HL ratio 0.46); eye diameter greater than eye to nostril distance (ED/E-N ratio 1.75); upper eyelids small; pineal ocellus not visible externally; interorbital width more than thrice upper eyelid width (IO/UE ratio 3.20); canthus rostralis weakly defined; loreal region slightly concave; maxillary teeth absent; a weak symphysial knob on anterior edge of mandible; mouth extending beyond posterior corner of eye; no rictal glands at posterior corner of mouth; weak tubercles on forehead, that lack pale tips; mandibular spines absent; asperities on gular region comprises obtuse tubercles; tongue oval, rather elongate, non-papillate, free posteriorly; choanae located close to antero-lateral edge of palate; vomerine ridge absent; vocal sac aperture located near angle of jaws; contracted pupil elliptical; tympanum visible, its annulus indistinct, oval, measuring 1.2 mm in horizontal diameter and 1.4 mm in vertical diameter, smaller than orbit of eye (ED/tympanum ratios 1.75 and 1.50, respectively); distance between eye and tympanum 0.7 mm, or 33.3% diameter of eye and 58.3% horizontal tympanum diameter; supratympanic fold absent; parotoid gland absent; subgular vocal sac, with paired openings; no supracloacal fold; postcloacal tubercles large, distinct; cloacal opening low relative to position of thighs; dorsum of body and limbs with low, rounded tubercles; tubercles largest in post-tympanic region and along flanks; ventral surface of body tuberculate, most marked in abdominal region, where tubercles are flattened, rounded and in contact with each other.

Arm short and stout; fingers ( Fig. 4A ) extremely short and stout, with extensive webbing; no free phalange projecting from web of Finger I; relative length of fingers: 3> 4> 2> 1; tips of finger not expanded; manus with fleshy webbing; Fingers I–II bound by webbing up to their tips to Finger III; on inner and outer aspects of Finger III and on inner aspect of Finger IV, webbing reaches distal subarticular tubercle; no dermal fringe on outer aspect of Finger IV; a pale nuptial pad on Finger I, which is spinose; subarticular tubercles rounded, those on toes larger than the ones on fingers, numbering one on first and fourth fingers, and two on third finger; palmar tubercles present; hind limbs slender and relatively short (TBL/SVL ratio 0.38), failing to meet when folded right angle to axis of body; toes ( Fig. 4B ) long; webbing covering Toes I–III up to tips, with no free phalanges, and forming a pad-like structure; Toes IV and V with weakly swollen tips; on both aspects of Toe IV and on inner aspect of Toe V, webbing reaches the base of weakly swollen tips; no dermal fringe present to toe tips; relative length of toes: 4> 5> 3> 2> 1; supernumerary subarticular tubercles, rounded; oval, inner and outer metatarsal tubercles; heel without a postaxial fold.

Colour. – Forehead and upper surfaces of limbs close to Jet Black (#89), the V-shaped oblique bands from scapular region on dorsum that reaches the level of the inguinal region Chestnut (#32); tubercles on dorsum and flanks with Pearl Gray (#81) on scanned transparencies, but may be more red in life; upper lips Buff-Yellow (#53), with dark smudges; limbs and digits unbanded; upper surfaces of Toes I–III and associated webbing pale; venter Yellow Ochre (#123C), with large Warm Sepia (#221A) areas; pupil black and iris golden.

Measurements (in mm, holotype followed by the range, mean and SE in paratypes in parentheses). – SVL 18.6 (17.8–18.6, mean 18.20 ± 0.14); HL 4.6 (4.1–4.9, mean 4.50 ± 0.17); HW 5.5 (5.4–6.1, mean 5.80 ± 0.14); HD 3.3 (3.1–4.0, mean 3.50 ± 0.15); BW 7.3 (5.5–7.3, mean 6.58 ± 0.31); TBL 7.1 (6.6–7.3, mean 7.00 ± 0.15); ED 2.1 (1.8–2.4, mean 2.06 ± 1.00); UE 1.8 (1.4–1.8, mean 1.58 ± 0.73); IN 1.5 (1.5–2.1, mean 1.74 ± 0.12); IO 3.7 (3.2–3.7, mean 3.52 ± 0.10); E-S 2.4 (2.1–2.7, mean 2.34 ± 0.11); E-N 1.2 (1.2–1.4, mean 1.26 ± 0.04) and A-G 9.4 (7.6–9.4, mean 8.16 ± 0.34). See also Table 2.

Etymology. – Latin for inhabitant of Batu Linanit.

where males were found calling. Leptobrachium montanum and Philautus petersi were found in sympatry with the new species at this site. The dominant tree species at the type locality were Agathis kinabaluensis , Ternstroemia aneura , Tristania aneura , Dacrydium xanthandrum and Eugenia alcinae . At the collection site, Nepenthes murudensis and N. muluensis were common.

Comparisons. – In showing finger tips not wider than basal phalanges, Pelophryne linanitensis differs from P. brevipes , P. guentheri , P. rhopophilius and P. signata . Its vertical (vs. oblique) snout differentiates it from P. api and P. murudensis . The lack of a free phalange on Finger I distinguishes it from P. lighti and webbing to the tip of Toe V from albotaeniata . Finally, the new species can be separated from P. misera in showing distinct subarticular tubercles, lack of mandibular spines, presence of a dark hour-glass pattern on dorsum and presence of pale flank stripes.

See also Table 3 for distribution of character states of Pelophryne species.

Figures

Fig. 3. Holotype of Pelophryne linanitensis, new species (ZRC 1.11906) in life.

Fig. 4. Left manus (4A) and pes (4B) of holotype of Pelophryne linanitensis, new species (ZRC 1.11906). Scale bars= 2 mm.

Fig. 5. Map of Borneo, showing the location of Gunung Murud, the general type locality of Pelophryne murudensis, new species, and Pelophryne linanitensis, new species.