Odorrana splendida, Kuramoto, Mitsuru, Satou, Naoki, Oumi, Shohei, Kurabayashi, Atsushi & Sumida, Masayuki, 2011

Kuramoto, Mitsuru, Satou, Naoki, Oumi, Shohei, Kurabayashi, Atsushi & Sumida, Masayuki, 2011, Inter- and intra-island divergence in Odorrana ishikawae (Anura, Ranidae) of the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2767, pp. 25-40 : 37-38

Odorrana splendida sp. nov.

Holotype. IABHU F2179, female (SVL 110.9 mm) collected in Yamato-son, Amami Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan on 17 March 2004 by S. Oumi ( Fig . 7).

Paratypes. IABHU F2262, male (SVL 92.3 mm) collected in the same locality as the holotype on 3 April 2004 by S. Oumi. IABHU F2263, female (SVL 108.2 mm) collected in the same locality as the holotype on 26 March 2004 by S. Oumi. IABHU F2264, male (SVL 105.6 mm) collected in the same locality as the holotype on 15 February 2006 by S. Oumi. IABHU F2213, female (SVL 123.0 mm) collected Uken-son, Amami Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan on 22 February 2006 by S. Oumi.

Diagnosis. Large, brightly colored frog inhabiting mountain stream regions of Amami Island. From its close relative O. ishikawae of Okinawa Island, this species is readily distinguishable by its smaller, ruggedly edged dorsal spots and lack of heavy mottlings on the abdomen. The inner metatarsal tubercle is relatively large and the head is relatively small when compared with O. ishikawae .

Description of holotype (measurements in mm). A large, rather flat frog. Head wider than long (HL 34.0; HW 36.6); snout blunt; canthus rostralis blunt; loreal region heavily concave; upside of upper jaw between eye and tympanum strongly concave; nostril nearer to tip of snout than to eye (NS 6.2; EN 8.1); eye large, ca. 1.8 times tympanum diameter (EL 11.6; TD 6.4); upper eyelid wider than inter-orbital distance (UEW 10.2; IOD 7.0), the latter shorter than inter-narial space (IN 9.7).

Fore- and hind-limbs stout; hand large (HAL 30.4) with well-developed disks (disk width of 3F 4.2) and palmar tubercles; junction between disk and penultimate phalanx region bent sharply downward (as if there was intercalary cartilage); large thenar tubercle; subarticular tubercles well developed; finger length F3>F1>F2>F4; no webbing between fingers.

Shank longer than thigh (THIGHL 51.2; TL 54.4), the former longer than foot (FOL 49.5); toes with large disks (disk width of 3T 4.5); subarticular tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle well-developed (IMTL 7.2); toe length T4>T5>T3>T2>T1; webbing large, reaching base of disk except T4 where webbing reach to ultimate subarticular tubercle.

Many tubercles, large and small, over the entire dorsal surface and upper sides of limbs; underside smooth; supratympanic fold granular, from back of eye to base of forelimb; no dorso-lateral fold.

Color (in alcohol) grayish; tip of dorsal tubercles, light brown; dark gray irregular cross bars on outer surface of fore- and hind-limbs; lateral sides reticulated; tympanum brown with small gray spot at center; webbing with dark mottling; underside immaculate except black spots on the margin of lower jaw and indistinct small gray spots on the throat and chest; no mid-dorsal stripe.

Variation. Specimens from Uken-son are distinctly large and clearly separated from those of other parts of Amami Island. Distribution ranges of the large and common types do not overlap; a rather remarkable intraspecific variation for this small island.

Distribution. This species occurs in mountain stream regions of Amami Island. By separating of the Amami population as a new species, the distribution range of O. ishikawae is limited to Okinawa Island.

Etymology. The specific name is an adjective based on the Latin splendidus meaning brilliant or bright, in reference to the beautiful coloration of this species.

Japanese name. Amami-Ishikawa-Gaeru.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Holotype (IABHU F 2179) of Odorrana splendida sp. nov. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) aspects. The chest was cut for collecting blood sample. Scale bar = 20 mm.