Leptobrachium xanthops, Stuart, Bryan L., Phimmachak, Somphouthone, Seateun, Sengvilay & Sivongxay, Niane, 2012

Stuart, Bryan L., Phimmachak, Somphouthone, Seateun, Sengvilay & Sivongxay, Niane, 2012, A new Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) from the highlands of southeastern Laos, Zootaxa 3155, pp. 29-37 : 30-33

Leptobrachium buchardi Ohler, Teynié & David, 2004

Expanded description. Three adult males (FMNH 258082, 258084, 258087) and seven adult females (FMNH 258083, 258085–86, 258089–90, NCSM 77762–63) from the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos have habitus moderately stocky; body tapering to groin. Head broad and depressed; head length and width subequal. Snout rounded in dorsal view, sharply sloping in profile, barely projecting beyond lower jaw in profile; nostril slightly closer to tip of snout than eye, below canthus, internarial shorter than interorbital distance; canthus rostralis distinct; lores oblique, moderately concave; eye large, slightly projecting from side of head, diameter shorter than snout length, interorbital distance longer than upper eyelid width; no pineal ocellus; tympanum round or oval, annulus weakly visible, tympanum diameter about 50% eye diameter in males, 40% in females, and greater than distance between tympanum and eye; tongue heart-shaped, notched posteriorly; large, slit-like vocal sac openings on floor of mouth near lateral margin of tongue in males, absent in females; vomerine teeth absent.

Forelimb slender, more robust in males. Fingers moderately slender, without webbing. Tip of fingers blunt, slightly swollen; relative finger lengths II = IV <I <III; two oval palmar tubercles in contact, subequal in size, low callous bumps on ventral surface of fingers; nuptial pad absent.

Hindlimb slender and relatively short. Toes moderately slender; webbing on toes I and II to level of distal margin of subarticular tubercle and continuing as a fringe to base of tip, on preaxial side of toe III to level of distal margin of proximal subarticular tubercle continuing as a fringe to base of tip, on postaxial side of toe III to level of proximal margin of distal subarticular tubercle continuing as a fringe to base of tip, on toe IV to level of proximal subarticular tubercle continuing as a fringe to base of tip, and on toe V to midway between base and tip. Tips of all toes blunt, slightly swollen; relative toe lengths I<II<V<III<IV; distinct, oval, inner metatarsal tubercle, length about 80% distance between tip of toe I and tubercle; no outer metatarsal tubercle.

Skin above smooth with fine network of ridges, some scattered small tubercles posteriorly; no spines on upper lip; low supratympanic ridge from posterior edge of eye to axilla; ventrally granular, skin smooth on ventral surfaces of limbs; oval axillary gland on ventrolateral surface slightly posterior to insertion of forelimb with body; oval femoral gland on posteroventral surface of thigh, slightly closer to knee than vent.

In life (based on NCSM 77762–63; Figure 2 ), dorsum dark gray-brown, without distinct markings, few small black spots posteriorly; flank gray with black spots and white tubercles; upper surface of forelimb as dorsum, with indistinct darker bands, upper surface of hindlimb with black bands and bronze bands, some gray bands on dorsal surface of tibiotarsus and foot; eye dark brown with upper one-third of iris white with light green wash (NCSM 77762) or white with light blue wash (NCSM 77763), scleral arc bright blue (visible in the posterior corner of the eye and when the palpebrum is retracted); narrow black streak under canthus and supratympanic fold; chin white with light brown markings, chest white, belly and ventral surface of limbs gray, minute white spots on tubercles on chin, chest, belly, and ventral surface of limbs; axillary and femoral glands white. In preservative (based on all ten specimens), bronze limb bands fade to tan or gray. Other specimens closely resemble NCSM 77762– 62 in preservative, except limb bands more distinct in some specimens (e.g. FMNH 258084) and more small black spots visible on posterior dorsum in some specimens (e.g. FMNH 258083).

Measurements are summarized in Table 1 .

Measurement L. xanthops sp. nov. L. buchardi

1Data from Ohler et al. (2004)

Distribution and natural history: Leptobrachium buchardi is known only from the Bolaven Plateau in Pakxong District, Champasak Province, Laos ( Figure 1 ). The holotype was obtained at 1,200–1,250 m elevation “under a stone in a disturbed area” ( Ohler et al. 2004). The new specimens reported here were collected at 1,000–1,240 m elevation in wet evergreen forest and in coffee plantations near the edge of wet evergreen forest, during the day under leaf litter and at night on leaf litter or bare soil, at least 10 m from water.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map illustrating the type locality (star) of Leptobrachium xanthops sp. nov. on the Dakchung Plateau, Dakchung District, Xe Kong Province, Laos, and the type locality (black circle) and new localities (white circles) of L. buchardi on the Bolaven Plateau, Pakxong District, Champasak Province, Laos.

FIGURE 2. Leptobrachium buchardi in life. (A) Lateral view and (B) eye with palpebrum retracted of NCSM 77762. (C) Lateral view, (D) eye with palpebrum retracted, (E) dorsal view, and (F) ventral view of NCSM 77763.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of Leptobrachium from southern Laos. Abbreviations defined in the text.

	Male n =1	Females n =2 Range	Immature female n =1	Topotype males n =3 Range; Mean ± SD	Topotype females n =7 Range; Mean ± SD	Holotype female1 n =1
SVL	44.7	50.3–56.9	47.1	45.1–48.0; 46.1 ± 1.7	49.2–56.5; 54.1 ± 2.6	49.5
HDL	22.9	23.7–28.1	22.7	21.2–22.2; 21.7 ± 0.5	23.8–25.8; 24.8 ± 0.9	21.7
HDW	20.8	22.0–25.5	20.6	20.3–22.0; 21.4 ± 1.0	22.9–24.5; 23.9 ± 0.6	20.6
SNT	8.7	8.3–10.5	7.9	8.3–8.7; 8.5 ± 0.2	9.0–10.2; 9.8 ± 0.4	9.6
EYE	7.1	7.9–8.6	7.2	6.6–7.2; 6.9 ± 0.3	7.7–8.7; 8.2 ± 0.3	7.2
IOD	6.1	6.4–6.5	6.6	6.1–7.0; 6.5 ± 0.5	6.6–7.8; 7.3 ± 0.4	6.6
IND	4.6	4.9–5.3	4.3	3.9–4.5; 4.2 ± 0.3	4.7–5.6; 5.2 ± 0.3	4.3
SHK	16.7	19.1–21.3	18.2	17.0–18.3; 17.6 ± 0.7	18.0–20.8; 19.6 ± 1.1	17.1
TGH	19.5	22.7–26.5	21.4	17.8–18.9; 18.3 ± 0.6	19.3–24.6; 22.0 ± 2.0	18.8
LAL	14.9	18.2–18.8	16.6	14.8–15.4; 15.2 ± 0.3	17.3–19.7; 18.6 ± 0.9	14.8
HND	10.3	12.7–13.6	12.4	10.3–12.2; 11.3 ± 1.0	10.3–13.7; 12.2 ± 1.2	12.5
FTL	17.0	21.3–21.8	19.6	17.7–18.7; 18.2 ± 0.5	18.8–21.5; 20.4 ± 1.1	18.3
IML	2.4	2.7–3.0	2.5	2.3–2.7; 2.4 ± 0.2	2.3–3.6; 2.8 ± 0.4	2.6
IMW	1.4	1.5–1.9	1.6	1.0–1.6; 1.3 ± 0.3	1.3–1.7; 1.5 ± 0.2	-