Ansonia karen, Suwannapoom & Grismer & Pawangkhanant & Naiduangchan & Yushchenko & Arkhipov & Wilkinson & Poyarkov, 2021
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e73529 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:82F0310B-38FF-417B-A2B6-8D8F67AD069D |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/151C982A-A85C-4AB5-B969-51BCFE45C701 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:151C982A-A85C-4AB5-B969-51BCFE45C701 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Ansonia karen |
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sp. nov. |
Ansonia karen sp. nov.
Suggested Common Name: Karen Stream Toad Figures 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7
Holotype.
ZMMU A-7605 (field number NAP-06631), an adult male collected on 8 November 2016 at a forest stream within the montane evergreen forest of Khao Laem Mt., Suan Phueng District, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand (13.54732N, 099.20394E; 715 m a.s.l. in elevation), by P. Pawangkhanant, C. Suwannapoom and N. A. Poyarkov.
Paratypes (n=15).
ZMMU A-7606 (field number NAP-06630), an adult male with same collection information as holotype; ZMMU A-7607 (no field number) and ZMMU A-7608 (field number AUP-00349), two adult males collected on 15 June 2018 at same locality as holotype by P. Pawangkhanant, C. Suwannapoom and M. Naiduangchan; ZMMU A-7609-A-7614 (field numbers NAP-10193-NAP-10198), five adult males and an adult female collected on 18 June 2019 at a forest stream within the montane evergreen forest on the northern slope of Khao Laem Mt., Suan Phueng District, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand (N 13.54581, E 099.20368; 758 m a.s.l. in elevation), by P. Yushchenko and M. Naiduangchan; AUP-00661-00665, two adult males and three adult females collected on 15 June 2019 at same locality as holotype by P. Pawangkhanant and M. Naiduangchan; and ZMMU A-7615 (field number NAP-09901), an adult female collected on 4 October 2019 at same locality as holotype by P. Pawangkhanant.
Diagnosis.
Ansonia karen sp. nov. is recognized as a member of the genus Ansonia based on the results of the molecular phylogenetic analyses that recover it as the sister species of A. thinthinae (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ) as well as by a combination of the following morphological characters: small body size (maximum SVL 25.6 mm in males and 29.2 mm in females); long slender limbs bearing long slender digits with bulbous tips; absence of parotoid glands; weak subarticular tubercles; and membranous foot webbing ( Inger 1960, 1966, 1992; Wilkinson et al. 2012; Chan et al. 2014; Grismer et al. 2016; Quah et al. 2019). It can be differentiated from all congeners by the following combination of characters: maximum SVL in males 25.4 mm and females 29.2 mm; snout projecting beyond lower jaw; tympanum visible; no interorbital or tarsal ridges; first finger shorter than second; finger tips bulbous, toe tips slightly dilated forming weak discs; approximately 2.5 phalanges free of web on fourth toe and 0.5 phalanges free of web on fifth toe; yellow rictal tubercles at angle of jaw; distinct, red-tipped, spiny tubercles on dorsum and flanks; abdomen coarsely granular; no oblique flaps of skin bordering vent; wide, light-colored patch below eye; light-colored, generally diamond-shaped interscapular spot; large, discrete, yellow, submandibular spots; no light-colored streaks on canthus rostralis; dorsum black, lacking an X-shaped marking surrounding interscapular spot; no dark-colored markings on rump; no dark dorsolateral stripe; iris yellow-gold; fore- and hind limbs bearing irregularly shaped, light-colored crossbars; venter and undersides of limbs dull-yellow bearing thick, grey-brown reticulations; palmar surfaces of hands and thenar surfaces of feet reddish-orange in life.
Description of holotype.
Adult male, SVL 24.9 mm (Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ); head longer than wide (HL/HW=1.10); snout shorter than wide (SL/SW=0.76), projecting beyond lower jaw, strongly tuberculate, truncate in dorsal view (Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ), truncate and sloping in lateral view (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); canthus rostralis distinct, lores vertical, flat; nares open laterally just below canthus, located much closer to end of snout than to eye (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); distance between nares smaller than snout length (IND/SL=0.62) and snout width (IND/SW=0.47); eyes large, slightly protruding beyond upper jaws in dorsal view (Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ), diameter nearly same as snout length (ED/SL=0.94) and interorbital distance (ED/IOD=1.07); pupils horizontal; interorbital region flat, strongly tuberculate, distance smaller than snout width (IOD/SW=0.67) and snout length (IOD/SL=0.88); tympanum distinct, suboval, taller than wide (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ), horizontal axis less than eye diameter (HTD/ED=0.53); choanae subcircular, separated by a distance larger than their diameter; vomerine ridge and teeth absent; tongue narrow, ending in median point, posterior one-half free.
Forelimbs and fingers long and slender (HAL/SVL=0.30; FLL/SVL=0.69); finger length from shortest to longest: I<II<IV<III; basal webbing not extending beyond proximal subarticular tubercle (Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ); fingertips bulbous, slightly dilated but not forming discs; subarticular tubercles indistinct; inner and outer metacarpal tubercles distinct, oval, slightly raised, inner smaller than outer; supernumerary tubercles absent (Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ). Hind limbs and toes long and slender (FL/SVL=0.40; HLL/SVL 1.43), toe length from shortest to longest: I<II<V<III<IV; webbing formula: I 0.5-0.5 II 0.5-1 III 0.5-3 IV 2.5-0.5 V; toe tips bulbous, slightly dilated forming weak discs (Fig. 3F View Figure 3 ); subarticular tubercles indistinct; inner metatarsal tubercle small, oval, slightly raised; outer metatarsal tubercle raised, rounded, somewhat smaller than inner (OMTL/IMTL=0.72). Upper eyelid, interorbital region, dorsal part of snout and canthus covered with numerous small and larger tubercles; no interorbital ridges; small, randomly arranged tubercles on lores; single row of small spinules on upper lip and outer margin of upper eyelid (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); four rictal tubercles; no supratympanic folds or parotoid glands; dorsum, flanks, and dorsal surfaces of limbs bearing irregularly spaced, large and small tubercles most of which have brown keratinized spinules, some larger tubercles have more than one spinule; concentration of larger tubercles above tympanum and in scapular region forming an indistinct dorsolateral row extending to insertion of hind limbs; series of brown conical, keratinized tubercles along edges of underside of mandible, absent in gular region (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ); abdomen coarsely granular; all ventral surfaces except for manus and pes covered with coarse, evenly spaced, rounded glandular tubercles.
Coloration in life (Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ).
Top of head black (Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ); dorsum and flanks black, punctuated with widely spaced, red-tipped tubercles (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ); dull-yellow, elongate, diamond-shaped insterscapular spot (Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ); large, yellowish suborbital patch and rictal tubercles (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ); forelimbs bearing irregularly shaped, light-colored beige-grey bands, most prominent on brachia and extending anteriorly onto shoulder; dorsomedial surfaces of shoulder and digits I and II orangish; gray, irregularly shaped bands on hind limbs; yellow patch on ankles; large, yellow, widely spaced, submandibular blotches confluent with blotch on lower sections of upper lip (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ); gular region light greyish-brown, unicolor; wide, dark-brown, paired, longitudinally oriented pectoral markings grading posteriorly into a wide, black, abdominal reticulum confluent with dark reticulum on ventral surfaces of hind limbs (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ); wide yellow patch surrounding vent extending onto ventral surface of thighs (Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ); and bottoms of hands and feet reddish-orange (Fig. 3E-F View Figure 3 ).
Coloration in preservative.
After five years of storage in ethanol, the warm reddish, yellowish and orange tints have significantly faded, the specimen looks dark greyish-brown; however all Xenophrys major features of coloration pattern are still well-discernable.
Variation.
Raw and adjusted mensural data of the type series are presented in Tables 1 View Table 1 and 1s View Table 1 , respectively. Males have smaller body sizes than females, and their SVL values do not overlap (male SVL = 23.2-25.6 mm, average 24.4 ± 0.8 mm; vs. female SVL = 26.2-29.2 mm, average 28.2 ± 1.2 mm). The members of the type series generally agree in coloration with that of the holotype (see Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Males ZMMU A-7607 (Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ) and ZMMU A-7608 (Fig. 5C View Figure 5 ) have generally lighter pinkish-grey coloration of ventral surfaces. The shape of ventral reticulum varies from having dense small yellowish and blackish spots (as in male AUP-00662, Fig. 5E View Figure 5 ) to larger intermittent longitudinal black blotches with yellowish veins between them (as in males ZMMU A-7607 and ZMMU A-7608, Fig. 5A, C View Figure 5 ). Males AUP-00661 and AUP-00662 originally had damaged and partially regenerated left hind limbs (Fig. 5D-E View Figure 5 ). Other morphological features showed no significant variation among the type series.
Larval morphology.
Description based on AUP-02091 at Gosner (1960) stage 38. Total length 16.9 mm, head-body length 6.2 mm, head-body depth 2.4 mm, maximum head-body width 3.3 mm, diameter of eyeball 0.9 mm, interorbital distance 1.4 mm, eye to tip of snout 1.7 mm, internarial distance 1.1 mm, width of oral disc 3.0 mm, tail length 10.8 mm, maximum tail depth 2.4 mm, tail muscular depth 1.7 mm, thigh length 1.0 mm, tibia length 1.2 mm, foot length 1.7 mm. Body distinctly flattened dorsoventrally (Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ), broadly oval-shaped in dorsal and ventral views with maximum width posterior to eyes (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ); snout broadly rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ); eyes with dorsolateral orientation; nostrils located closer to eyes than to tip of snout, with anterolateral orientation. Oral disc ventral, forming a sucker, comprising ca. 93% of head-body width, not emarginate, both oral labia expanded (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ); anterior labium slightly smaller than posterior labium, separated from tip of snout by deep groove; marginal papillae in single row across posterior labium and not discernable on anterior labium, submarginal papillae in two rows on posterior labium; black, serrated jaw sheaths, upper divided with gap of ca. same length as single sheath, lower continuous; labial tooth (keratodont) row formula 2/3, all rows continued, well separated from jaw sheaths, anterior rows medially curved, slightly longer than posterior rows (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ); tail musculature well-developed, tapering posteriorly to pointed tail tip; tail deepest in anterior one third of length; dorsal and ventral fins approximately equal in depth.
Tadpole coloration.
In life (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ) dorsal surfaces of body and tail dark violet-brown with numerous, golden and bronze-colored specks scattered along tail, getting denser on body anteriorly and laterally and around eyes (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Laterally dark violet-gray with bright golden or metal specks on tail and body flanks; limbs dorsally with bronze specks and transverse dark bands (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Ventrally semi-translucent lavender-gray lacking golden specks (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ). After three years in preservative, dorsal surfaces of body turned grayish-brown, with densely well-discernable scattered brown chromatophores; ventral surfaces with very few chromatophores medially getting denser laterally; dorsal and ventral tail fins transparent with few chromotaphores.
Distribution.
Ansonia karen sp. nov. is currently known only from the type locality and nearby locality in same forest stream in the environs of Khao Laem Mountain, in Suan Phueng District of Ratchaburi Province in western Thailand, less than 2.0 km from the international Thai-Myanmar border (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). The new species likely inhabits the middle portion of the Northern Tenasserim Mountain range (between the Kanchanaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces), and is expected to occur in adjacent montane areas in the western part of Phetchaburi Province of Thailand and Thanintharyi Division of Myanmar.
Natural history.
The new species inhabits a polydominant montane tropical evergreen forest on Khao Laem Mountain at elevations from ca. 700 to 750 m a.s.l., where the adult specimens were observed at night perched on leaves or stones (Fig. 7B-C View Figure 7 ) along an approximately 1-3 m wide, slow-flowing mountain stream (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), or beneath stones along the stream’s edge. The multi-species polydominant tropical forest at the type locality has dense vegetation with tangles of giant bamboo Dendrocalamus asper (Schult.) Backer. Males were calling during our field observations from June to November throughout 2017-2019. The tadpoles of the new species were recorded in the same stream and were usually concentrated in pools under small waterfalls, hiding under gravel on the stream bottom, or sitting on the vertical surfaces of large submerged boulders to which they were attached by their oral discs (Fig. 7D View Figure 7 ).
The species of amphibians and reptiles recorded in sympatry with the new species at the type locality include: Leptobrachium tenasserimense Pawangkhanant, Poyarkov, Duong, Naiduangchan & Suwannapoom, L. smithi Matsui, Xenophrys cf. major (Boulenger), Leptobrachella melanoleuca (Matsui), L. fuliginosa (Matsui), Amolops panhai Matsui & Nabhitabhata, Alcalus tasanae (Smith), Limnonectes jarujini Matsui, Panha, Khonsue & Kuraishi, L. doriae (Boulenger), L. macrognathus (Boulenger), M. berdmorei (Blyth), Acanthosaura crucigera Boulenger, Pseudoxenodon macrops (Blyth), Trimeresurus popeiorum Smith, and Rhabdophis chrysargos (Schlegel).
Etymology.
The specific name " Ansonia karen " is given as a noun in apposition and refers to the name of the Karen people. Originally inhabiting wide areas in southern and southeastern Myanmar, many Karen have migrated to Thailand, having settled mostly on the Thailand-Myanmar border, including the Suan Phueng District, the type locality of the new species, due to the political turmoil during the end of XX - beginning of XXI centuries. We received significant help and assistance from the local Karen community in Suan Phueng during our field surveys and want to thank them for their permanent support. NAP also thanks Karen Sarkisian for his support and encouragement.
Comparisons.
Ansonia karen sp. nov. is most closely related to A. thinthinae but differs from it by being smaller, more squat and having statistically significant differences in head and limb proportions (see above and Table 2 View Table 2 ). It differs in coloration and pattern from A. thinthinae in having (as opposed to lacking) red-tipped tubercles on the dorsum and flanks; lacking, as opposed to having, gular spotting; having irregularly shaped gray crossbars on the hind limbs as opposed to having regularly shaped, thin, yellowish crossbars; and the bottoms of the hands and feet being reddish-orange as opposed to black. Differences between, and among, other species in the Thai-Burmese clade are summarized in Table 5 View Table 5 .
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