Rhacophorus gadingensis, Das & Haas, 2005

Das, Indraneil & Haas, Alexander, 2005, A New Species Of Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) From Gunung Gading, Sarawak, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 53 (2), pp. 257-263 : 258-259

Rhacophorus gadingensis , new species

( Figs. 1–2 )

Material examined. – Holotype: Adult female ( ZRC 1.11532 )(field number ID-7831) from Gunung Gading ( 03º42'2"N 115º32'06"E), Lundu Division, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo), coll. I. Das, 13 Aug.2004.

Paratype: Adult male ( ZRC)(field number ID-7832),paratopotype ; same data as for holotype .

Diagnosis. – A small (SVL 29.5 mm in the larger of two specimens) species of Rhacophorus , diagnosable from congeneric species in showing the following combination of characters: snout obtuse, slightly projecting beyond mandible; head wider than long; fingers and toes webbed; lacking nuptial pads (in males) and dermal flap along forearm; a weak supracloacal fold; spinose calcar present; skin not co-ossified to forehead, median lingual process absent; supratympanic fold weak; dorsum brown, with a dark interorbital bar; dark brown blotches on dorsum and flanks with blue blotches.

Description of holotype (adult female). – A small species of Rhacophorus, SVL 29.5 mm; body elongate, with a narrow waist; head broader than long (HW/HL ratio 1.9); snout slopes slightly beyond mandible in lateral view and obtuse in dorsal view; nares oval, laterally positioned, nearer tip of snout than to orbit of eye (E-N/E-S ratio 0.71); internarial distance slightly less than distance from anterior margin of eye to nostril (IN/E-N ratio 0.97); eye large (ED/HL ratio 0.56); pupil vertical; its diameter greater than eye to nostril distance (ED/E-N ratio 1.55); skin not co-ossified to forehead; pinal ocellus absent; interorbital width greater than upper eyelid width (IO/UE ratio 1.82); canthus rostralis distinct; loreal region vertical; maxillary teeth present; a weak ‘W’- shaped notch (= symphysial knob) on anterior edge of mandible; mouth extends to posterior corner of eye; tongue subtriangular, smooth, bifid apically, lacking a median lingual process, free posteriorly for a third its length; choanae located close to anterior of palate; vomerine ridge reduced, in two oblique series, beginning at inner front edge of choana, and closer to choanae than to each other; pupil horizontal; no rictal gland at posterior corner of mouth; tympanum distinct; its horizontal diameter slightly larger than the vertical diameter, and a third of the eye diameter; supratympanic fold weak; no dermal flap along forearm; weak supracloacal fold and postcloacal tubercles absent; dorsum, including upper eyelids and upper surfaces of limbs smooth; abdomen and inner side of thighs with weak glandular structures.

Arm moderately long and thin; fingers long and thin, webbing on finger I, none; on finger II, none (inner) and to basal subarticular tubercle (outer); on finger III, to basal subarticular tubercle (inner) and to distal subarticular tubercle (outer), and on finger IV, to distal subarticular tubercle; relative length of fingers: 3> 4> 2> 1; finger tips dilated, with circummarginal grooves; width of disk on finger III greater than tympanum diameter; subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, numbering one on first and second fingers, two on third and fourth fingers; palmar tubercles indistinct; hind limbs relatively long and thin, meeting each other but not overlapping when folded right angle to body; toes long and thin; webbing on toe I, to base of disk; toe II, to distal subarticular tubercle (inner) and base of disk (outer); toe III, to distal subarticular tubercle (inner) and base of disk (outer); toe IV, to distal subarticular tubercle (both outer and inner); and toe V, to base of disk; relative length of toes (longest to shortest): 4> 3> 5> 2> 1; toe tips rounded; subarticular tubercles weakly developed, rounded, numbering one on first and second toes; two on third and fifth toes; and three on fourth toe; inner and outer metatarsal tubercles absent; disks on fingers wider than those on toes; heel bears a weak postaxial fold, with a spinous calcar proximally.

Colour. In life, tawny (# 38) dorsally, with a thin antique brown interorbital band that extends across the eyelids; large blotches of the same color on torso, including a transversely widened one at nuchal region, two paired oval ones on midbody and a single median one on sacral region; throat and rest of venter unpigmented yellow-cream, flanks of body with sky blue (# 168D) blotches enclosing irregular brown (# 129) areas; upper surfaces of limbs with light brown crossbars; and lower surfaces of thighs and tibia yellow-cream coloured; digits of arms and webbing pale yellow cream; those of the feet, including webbing, greyish-yellow; pupil black; surrounding iris gem ruby (# 110), lightening to buff (# 124) peripherally.

Measurements (in mm; holotype, followed by paratype in parentheses). – SVL 29.5 (23.7); HL 8.1 (7.1); HW 9.6 (8.3); HD 5.0 (4.0); BW 7.8 (5.5); TBL 16.7 (13.3); TD (vertical) 1.6 (1.3); TD (horizontal) 1.5 (1.9); ED 4.5 (3.7); UE 3.3 (3.2); IN 2.8 (3.0); IO 6.0 (5.1); E-S 4.1 (3.8); E-N 2.9 (2.0); E-T 0.6 (0.6); A-G 15.8 (12.5).

Variation. – The paratype, a male, is smaller in size than the female holotype. It lacks nuptial pads or external vocal pouches.

Etymology. – The new species is named for Gunung Gading, the type locality of the new species.

Ecological notes. – The holotype and paratype were found on vegetation, ca. 3 m and 1 m, respectively, overhanging granite boulders at the edge of a torrential forest stream,> 8 m in width. They were collected ca. 0200-0230 h. The call and larval stages of the new species remain unknown. The following species of frogs were found sympatric with the new species: Chaperina fusca, Limnonectes laticeps, L. leporinus, L. kuhlii, Meristogenys poecilus , Rana hosii , R. picturata , R. raniceps , Staurois guttatus , Nyctixalus pictus , Philautus tectus , Polypedates colletti , Rhacophorus appendiculatus , R. pardalis , Rhacophorus kajau, Leptolalax hamidi, Megophrys nasuta and Ansonia spinulifer .

Figures

Fig. 1. Lateral view of holotype of Rhacophorus gadingensis, new species, in life (ZRC 1.11532).

Fig. 2. Hand and feet of the holotype of Rhacophorus gadingensis, new species, (ZRC 1.11532). Markers = 5 mm.