Rana dabieshanensis, Wang, Chencheng, Qian, Lifu, Zhang, Chenling, Guo, Weibo, Pan, Tao, Wu, Jun, Wang, Hui & Zhang, Baowei, 2017

Wang, Chencheng, Qian, Lifu, Zhang, Chenling, Guo, Weibo, Pan, Tao, Wu, Jun, Wang, Hui & Zhang, Baowei, 2017, A new species of Rana from the Dabie Mountains in eastern China (Anura, Ranidae), ZooKeys 724, pp. 135-153 : 141-144

Rana dabieshanensis sp. n.

Holotype.

Specimen AHU2016R001, an adult male (Figures 3, 4) from the Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve, Yuexi County, Anhui Province, China (30°58'16.92"N, 116°04'11.88"E, elevation 1150 m a.s.l.) (Fig. 1), leg. Lifu Qian, 8 August, 2016.

Paratypes.

Seven males: AHU2016R002, AHU2016R003, AHU2016R004, AHU2016R005, AHU2016R006, AHU2016R007 and AHU2016R008, collected from the same locality as the holotype by Chencheng Wang between 15 and 20 August 2015. Two adult females, AHU2016R009 and AHU2016R010 collected by Lifu Qian at the same locality and time as the holotype.

Diagnosis.

The new species is assigned to the genus Rana based on the morphological characteristics typical for this genus, including the possession of a prominent dorsolateral folds, dark temporal mask, and a body that is counter-shaded in various shades of brown. The species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of morphological characteristics: (1) comparatively large body size (SVL 50.9-62.8 mm in males, N = 8 and females 53.0-68.3 mm, N = 2); (2) snout obtusely pointed in lateral view; (3) temporal fold distinct; (4) canthus rostralis distinct; (5) dark mask covering tympanum; (6) tympanum diameter equal to eye diameter (7) head length almost equal with head width (8) distinct transverse grayish brown bars on dorsal surface of lower arms, tarsus, thighs, and tibia; (9) dorsal skin smooth, small granules on legs, large tubercles absent; (10) tips of fingers not expanded, relative finger lengths III> I> IV> II, fingers webbing absent, toes two third webbed, toes webbing formula I 2 –1– II 2+- 1+ III 3-2 IV 2-2+ V; (11) gray-blackish nuptial pad prominent and forming two groups in males, with minute nuptial spines; (12) external vocal sac absent; (13) a straight dorsolateral fold from temporal area to groin. (14) dorsum coloration varies from golden to brown.

Description of Holotype.

SVL 62.8 mm. Head length is approximately equal to the head width (HL/HW = 1.01); snout long and rounded in profile, projecting a little beyond the lower jaw; internarial space equal to the interorbital space (INS/IOS = 1); diameter of the eye larger than the width of upper eyelid (ED/UE=1.33); canthus rostralis distinct; tympanum rounded, with the obvious tympanic rim; tongue deeply notched behind; external vocal sacs not discernable; pupil horizontal.

Forelimbs: forearm robust, fingers slender, finger webbing absent; fingertips obtuse with no expansion and lacking circummarginal grooves; relative finger lengths III> I> IV> II; one prominent subarticular tubercle on fingers I and II, two small subarticular tubercles on fingers III and IV; the inner metatarsal tubercle oval-shaped and elongated; outer metatarsal tubercle small rounded; the nuptial pad appeared on the finger I, covered by small black spines and divided into two groups, one near tip lager than the other one.

Hindlimbs: hind limbs long (HLL 129.1 mm, 205.7% of SVL), about 4.7 times than length of forelimbs (LAHL 27.6 mm, 43.9% of SVL); heels overlapping when limbs are held at right angles to body; the tibio-tarsal joint reaches beyond the snout-tip when the hind limb is stretched forward; the relative toe lengths IV> III> V> II> I; toes two third webbed, toes webbing formula: I 2 - 1- II 2+- 1+ III 3 - 2 IV 2 - 2+ V and the webbing of the toe IV reaches as far as the penultimate distal joint; toe tips rounded, lacking circummarginal grooves; three tubercles on the IV toes, two tubercles on II III and V toes, one tubercle on I toe; the inner metatarsal tubercle ovoid, small but distinct; without outer metatarsal tubercles.

Skin: skin on dorsum is smooth while some small tubercles present on the body flanks and mouth angle; a mass of small tubercles on the dorsal surfaces of thighs and shanks while little warts on forelimb basis; a triangular gray patch behind the eye and anterior to the temporal fold; temporal fold distinct, extending from posterior margin of eye above and behind tympanum to above arm insertion; dorsolateral fold obvious and straight from the temporal area to groin; the throat, chest, belly and ventral surfaces of thighs being smooth with irregular black spots.

Coloration: in life and in preservative: in life, the iris is golden with a black pupil, two dark spots near pupil edges in the anterior and posterior edges of eye and a dark vertical bar in the lower half of iris; the color of the dorsal side changes according to environment, from golden to light brown; lip is golden brown with darker brown markings lasting from the area under the eye towards nostrils and snout tip; the mandible whitish with unclear gray spots; large triangular brown patch behind the eye and anterior to temporal fold; forelimbs dorsally the same color as the dorsal surface of body, with four faint ash black stripe in the forearm; the dorsum of the thigh and tibia is a grayish brown, with nine ash black stripes; the sides of the tarsus and foot are grayish brown with three ash black bars; throat, chest, and belly white with irregular black spots; nuptial pad grayish brown. In preservative, dorsal surface gray-brown; all ash black fade to black; throat, chest, and abdomens fade to creamy white, with gray spots.

Variation and sexual dimorphism.

Morphometric data were summarized in Table 4. Body size of males (SVL 50.1-62.8 mm) is smaller than that of females (SVL: 53.0-68.3 mm). Their dorsal color varied from golden to dark brown. Number of grayish brown crossbars on dorsal surface of lower arms, tarsus, thighs, and tibia varied. Nuptial pads are absent only in females.

Measurements (in mm) of the holotype.

SVL: 62.8; HW: 17.6; HL: 17.8; SL: 8.4; IN: 5.5; IO: 5.5; UE: 3.6; ED: 4.8; TD: 4.0; LAHL: 27.6; LAD: 8.1; HAL: 14.8; HLL: 129.1; TL: 40.6; TW: 8.4; TFL: 53.2; FL: 35.5.

Etymology.

The epithet of the new species “dabieshanensis” is a Latinized toponymic adjective derived from the Dabie Mountains in central China where the new species was discovered.

Common names.

We recommend the "Dabie Mountain Brown Frog" as a common name of the new species in English; "Da Bie Shan Lin Wa" in Chinese.

Ecological notes.

Rana dabieshanensis sp. n. appears closely associated with high altitudes of the southeastern mountains environments. Specimens were found at night between 20:00 and 01:00 h around a water pool in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve, Yuexi, Anhui province, China (Figure. 1). The surrounding habitat consists of small hardwoods, mixed with shrubs and vines. Most of the specimens were found in grass nearby the water, few frogs were in the water. Air temperature was about 13.6 to 17.1 °C and water temperature about 12.1 °C to 14.7 °C. The relative humidity in this area was from 62 to 81%. Other amphibian species include R. chensinensis , Rhacophorus anhuiensis , Pelophylax nigromaculata , Fejervarya multistriata , and Yerana yei was also recorded during field survey in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve ( Pan et al. 2014).

Distribution.

Currently, Rana dabieshanensis sp. n. is only found in the Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve (Anhui Province). This species might be found in other regions of the Dabie Mountains.

Comparisons.

Rana dabieshanensis sp. n. differ from the Chinese species of the genus Rana by following morphological characters: (1) without black glandular ridge in scapular region (vs. an inverted V-shaped black glandular ridge in scapular region in R. chaochiaoensis , R. hanluica , R. longicrus , R. omeimontis , R. maoershanensis , R. huanrenensis , R. japonica , and R. jiemuxiensis ); (2) smooth dorsum without tubercles (vs. many tubercles on the dorsolateral surface in R. arvalis , R. amurensis , R. asiatica , R. dybowskii , R. japonica and R. kukunoris ); (3) tympanum diameter equal to eye diameter (TD 3.5-5.2 mm, ED 4.1-5.7 mm N=8) (vs. tympanum diameter being 2/3 times of eye diameter in R. chaochiaoensis (TD 3.0-5.5 mm, ED 4.3-6.3 mm N = 22), R. hanluica (TD 3.5-4.8 mm, ED 5.2-7.8 mm N = 16), R. omeimontis (TD 4.0-5.5 mm, ED 5.4-6.9 mm N = 20), R. zhenhaiensis (TD 2.5-4.0 mm, ED 5.0-6.4 mm N = 25) and R. culaiensis (TD 3.4-4.3 mm, ED 5.1-6.7 mm N = 5), R. japonica (described by Stejneger and Matsui in 1907); tympanum diameter being 1/2 times of eye diameter in R. maoershanensis (TD 3.4-3.8 mm, ED 6.1-6.7 mm N = 3), R. huanrenensis (TD 1.9-3.0 mm, ED 4.0-7.0 mm N = 15), R. kunyuensis and R. chensinensis (TD 2.5-3.0 mm, ED 5.3-6.0 mm N = 8); tympanum diameter being 3/4 times of the eye diameter in R. jiemuxiensis (TD 2.5-4.1 mm, ED 2.8-4.2 mm)); (4) internarial distances almost equal to interorbital distances (IOS 3.9-5.5 mm, INS 3.9-5.5 mm N = 8) (vs. interorbital distances larger than internarial distances of in R. chaochiaoensis (IOS 5.2-8.2 mm, INS 2.7-4.7 mm N=20), R. jiemuxiensis (IOS 4.3-7.5 mm, INS 2.5-3.8 mm); internarial distances larger than interorbital distances of in R. maoershanensis (IOS 3.1-3.3 mm, INS 4.5-5.5 mm, N = 3)); (5) interorbital distances larger than width of upper eyelid in R. dabieshanensis (IOS 3.1-5.5 mm, UE 2.9-3.8 mm N = 8) (vs. interorbital distances almost equal to upper eyelid in R. hanluensis (IOS 3.3-4.5 mm, UE 3.1-4.3 mm N = 16), R. huanrenensis (IOS 2.9-4.0 mm, UE 3.0-4.0 mm N = 15) and R. chensinensis (IOS 2.9-4.0 mm, UE 3.0-4.0 mm N = 8); upper eyelid interorbital larger to interorbital distances in R. zhenhaiensis (IOS 2.3-3.4 mm, UE 3.5-4.5 mm N = 25), R. kukunoris (IOS 2.4-3.1 mm, UE 3.8-4.9 mm N = 5), R. dybowskii (IOS 3.0-4.0 mm, UE 4.1-5.8 mm N = 25) and R. amurensis (IOS 2.6-3.5 mm, UE 3.5-5.2 mm N = 21)); (6) distinct canthus rostralis (vs. not distinct canthus rostralis in R. longicrus ); (7) the relative finger lengths IV> I> III> II in Rana dabieshanensis sp. n (vs. finger lengths III> IV> I> II of R. hanluica , R. luanchuanensis , and R. longicrus ); (8) thicker lower arm, LAD 4.9-8.1 mm in males (LAD/SVL radio 0.13) and 5.1-5.3 mm in females (LAD/SVL radio 0.10) (vs. LAD 3.6-4.5 mm (LAD/SVL 0.09) in males (N = 8) and 3.4-4.5 mm (LAD/SVL 0.08) in females (N = 7) of R. chensinensis ). (9) long hind limb (HLL 100.4-129.1 mm N = 8) (vs. in R. chaochiaoensis (HLL 92.0-100.0 mm N = 20), R. longicrus (HLL 70.8-84.8 mm N = 20), R. zhenhaiensis (HLL 73.4-100.0 mm N = 25), R. chensinensis (HLL 80.0-97.0 mm N = 8), R. kukunoris (HLL 80.0-99.0 mm N = 5), R. arvalis (HLL 61.1-82.4 mm N = 16) and R. huanrenensis (HLL 61.4-84.5 mm N = 15); (10) toes being webbed on two thirds (vs. toes fully webbed in R. chaochiaoensis and R. huanrenensis ); (11) larger body sizes, SVL: males 50.9-62.8 mm, N = 8 and females 53.0-68.3 mm, N = 2 (vs. SVL: males 35.6-49.9 mm and females 34.1-53.6 mm in R. jiemuxiensis , SVL: males 39.0-46.9 mm, N = 15 and females 42.4-49.0 mm, N = 8 in R. huanrenensis , SVL: males 27.2-33.0 mm, N = 12 and females 23.7-41.2 mm, N = 25 in R. luanchuanensis ); (12) a straight distinct dorsolateral fold lasting from the temporal region to groin in Rana dabieshanensis sp. n (vs. dorsolateral fold curved above the tympanum of R. longicrus , R. zhenhaiensis , R. maoershanensis , R. jiemuxiensis , R. chensinensis , R. huanrenensis , R. arvalis , R. amurensis , R. asiatica , R. dybowskii , R. kukunoris , R. kunyuensis R. luanchuanensis , and R. culaiensis ).