Kalophrynus limbooliati Matsui, Nishikawa, Belabut, Ahmad, and Yong, 2012

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 42-43

Kalophrynus limbooliati Matsui, Nishikawa, Belabut, Ahmad, and Yong, 2012 — Native.

Kalophrynus limbooliati Matsui, Nishikawa, Belabut, Ahmad & Yong, 2012: 39–44 , figs. 1–3. Holotype: UKMHC 705 , by original designation. Type locality: “ Gunung (= Mt.) Pulai , Kpg. ( Kampung = village) Sri , Kulai , State of Johor, Peninsular Malaysia (01° 36′ N, 103° 32′ E, 457 m a.s.l.)”.

Lim’s Black-spotted Sticky Frog

( Figure 5G )

Singapore records.

Calophrynus pleurostigma (non Tschudi, 1838)— Flower, 1896: 908 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]).— Boulenger, 1912: 258.—van Kampen, 1923: 102–104.—D.H. Murphy, 1973: 59.

Kalophrynus pleurostigma pleurostigma (non Tschudi, 1838)—Parker, 1934: 96.— Bourret, 1942: 498.— K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 228 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Rock Path [BTNR]).—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.

Kalophrynus pleurostigma (non Tschudi, 1838)—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 57.—K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 4 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 40, 144.—K.K.P. Lim, 1993b: 4 (Cave Path [BTNR]).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 15 (MacRitchie North Forest; Sime Road Forest).—K.K.P. Lim, 1994a: 212, 330.—K. Lim, 1995: 20 (North View Hut [BTNR]; Three-Stone Hill [NSSF]).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 1995: 113.—K.K.P. Lim, 1996: 50.—R. Subaraj, 1996: 101.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 401 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]; Lower Peirce [LP]; MacRitchie; Nee Soon [NSSF]).— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 54.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 14.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 118–121.— Das & Haas, 2003: 113 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]; Seletar Forest [NSSF]).— Das & Haas, 2005: 379.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 5.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 145.—K.K.P. Lim & T.M. Leong, 2008: 264.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 64, 159.— Matsui, 2009: 583, 584.—Bickford et al., 2010: 121, 123.—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 188.—K.O. Chan et al., 2011: 68 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 52.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 21, 22.—T.M. Leong & Gan, 2011: 25.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 468.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 53, 54, 56 (Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]).

Kalophrynus limbooliati —N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 64, 159.—Matsui et al., 2012: 39, 42, 45.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 32.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 9 (Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3, 5, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).— Zug, 2015: 166.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 146, 153, 174, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Dairy Farm Nature Park; Zhenghua Nature Park).

Remarks. Previously allocated to K. pleurostigma , K. limbooliati was redescribed as a new species based on acoustic, morphological, and molecular data ( Matsui et al. 2011; Matsui et al. 2012), after the authors noticed that populations from southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore emit different calls from northern populations. The calls of K. limbooliati highly resemble Pulchrana laterimaculata (Matsui et al. 2012) with which it occurs sympatrically over a large part of its range. Flower (1896) collected the first specimen for Singapore, and Peninsular Malaysia, at BTNR. In describing vertical forest distribution of vertebrates, Murphy (1973) described K. limbooliati as a common leaf-litter inhabitant, but did not provide any data or details. Leaving this remark aside, and unpublished museum records, another specimen of K. limbooliati was not reported until 95 years later when one was seen in a drain near the entrance of BTNR on 11 January 1991 ( Lim 1991a). Certainly, this observation was downplayed and not regarded as a rediscovery or novel since the species is perceived as common. Yet, the first occurrence of it outside of BTNR was not until 28 September 1993 when a single individual was found at MNF (Subaraj 1994).

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR and surrounding Nature Parks and forests. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Vulnerable.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Near-Threatened [2022].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH1896.6 .25.99 (no date); Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.11014 (15-Jun-1933) , ZRC.1.1763– ZRC.1.1764 (24-Nov-1966) , ZRC.1.2935 (11-Jan-1991) , ZRC.1.3035– ZRC.1.3044, ZRC.1.2938– ZRC.1.2983 (10-Jan-1991) , ZRC.1.9182 (20-Jan-2002) , ZRC.1.8047 (08-Jun-2001) , ZRC.1.8021– ZRC.1.8022 (28-Apr-2001) , ZRC.1.4608– ZRC.1.4615 (09-Jun-2000) , ZRC.1.3047– ZRC.1.3056 (10-Jan-1991) , ZRC.1.1705 (11-Aug-1989) , ZRC.1.10510 (13- Mar-2003) , ZRC.1.3425 (25-Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.3426 (25-Aug-1996) ; Hindhede Drive: ZRC.1.1562 (07- Dec-1988) ; Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.1.3288 (03-Jul-1995) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): FMNH; Bukit Timah: BPBM, CAS; Nee Soon [= NSSF]: BPBM.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Dairy Farm Nature Park—Hindhede Drive—Lower Peirce— MacRitchie—MacRitchie North Forest—Mandai Bird Park—Mandai Range Forest—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Sime Road Forest—Upper Seletar North Forest—Zhenghua Nature Park.

Genus Kaloula Gray, 1831 (1 species)

Figures

FIGURE 5. A) Limnonectes paramacrodon, B) Limnonectes plicatellus, C) Occidozyga sumatrana, D) Eleutherodactylus planirostris, E) Leptobrachium nigrops, F) Megophrys nasuta, G) Kalophrynus limbooliati, and H) Kaloulapulchra. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A–H].