A new species of Amolops from Thailand (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae)

We describe a new species of torrent-dwelling ranid frog of the genus Amolops from western to peninsular Thailand. Amolops panhai, new species, differs from its congeners by the combination of: small body, males 31-34 mm, females 48-58 mm in snout-vent length; head narrower than long; tympanum distinct; vomerine teeth in short, oblique patches; first finger subequal to second; disc of first finger smaller than that of second, with circummarginal groove; no wide fringe of skin on third finger; toes fully webbed; outer metatarsal tubercle present; supratympanic fold present; dorsolateral fold indistinct; axillary gland present; horny spines on back, side of head and body, and chest absent; large tubercles on side of anus absent; glandular fold on ventral surface of tarsus absent; nuptial pad and paired gular pouches present in male; white band along the upper jaw extending to shoulder absent; larval dental formula 7(4-7)/3(1). This new species is the second anuran discovered which has a disjunct distribution around the Isthmus of Kra.     

A New Species of the Asian Toad Genus Megophrys sensu lato(Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Guizhou Province,China

We describe a new species of the genus Megophrys sensu lato from Guizhou Province, China. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA sequences all strongly supported the new species as an independent lineage in Megophrys(Panophrys) clade. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics:(1) small body size with SVL 38.8 mm in male and SVL 42.3 mm in female;(2) vomerine teeth absent;(3) tongue not notched behind;(4) a small horn-like tubercle at the edge of each upper eyelid;(5) tympanum distinctly visible, rounded;(6) two metacarpal tubercles in hand;(7) relative finger lengths: II I V III;(8) toes with rudimentary webbing at bases;(9) heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body;(10) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level between tympanum to eye when leg stretched forward;(11) an internal single subgular vocal sac in male;(12) in breeding male, the nuptial pads with black nuptial spines on the dorsal bases of the first and second fingers.     

西藏东南部棘蛙属一新种记述(两栖纲：蛙科)

对产于西藏东南部察隅和墨脱的察隅棘蛙通过形态特征和数值分类作了进一步比较研究,结果认为：产于察隅的察隅棘蛙是一个有效种,而产于墨脱的标本应为一个新种,即墨脱棘蛙Paa medogensis sp.nov.。     

中国湖南角蟾科一新种——桑植角蟾

对采集于湖南桑植县天平山的角蟾标本(CIB200078)与同域分布的相近种尾突角蟾(Megophrys caudoprocta Shen,1994)标本及其他相近种标本比较后发现,该角蟾标本在形态上明显不同于其他物种。其形态特征与尾突角蟾相比:体形小,体长54.7mm;上眼脸外缘三角形突起小;体腹面后部有斑点;犁骨棱弱,末端不膨大,也无犁骨齿;雄性第一、二指背面黑婚刺相对较大,有声囊。与棘指角蟾相比:肛孔上方有一个向后突出的尾突,腹面观可见;雄性第一、二指背面黑婚刺相对较小而密。故将其订为新种:桑植角蟾Megophrys sangzhiensis sp.nov.。     

贵州省两栖类新记录种——中华湍蛙及其蝌蚪描述

2015-2018年在贵州省梵净山国家级自然保护区和雷公山国家级自然保护区采集到湍蛙属Amolops 3号成体标本及1号蝌蚪标本,经过系统发育分析和形态学比较,确定为中华湍蛙Amolops sinensis,为贵州省两栖动物新记录。另外,本文首次对该种的蝌蚪进行了形态描述。     

凹耳蛙的分类地位及蛙亚科一新属

对凹耳蛙模式标本产地的蛙类及蝌蚪进行了调查,并对蝌蚪进行了人工饲养和生长发育到完成变态的观察,结果发现一种没有腹吸盘的小型蝌蚪是凹耳蛙的蝌蚪.由此证明凹耳蛙不具有湍蛙型蝌蚪,应不属于湍蛙属蛙类.对凹耳蛙成体和蝌蚪特征的分析表明其与蛙亚科其他属及所辖种不同,建议另立新属.     

角蟾科一新亚种——炳灵角蟾梵净山亚种

报道了角蟾科一新亚种,该亚种具角蟾属特征,与峨眉角蟾种组中的炳灵角蟾(Megophrysbinlingensis)形态特征最为相近,但与该组成员又有明显区别,被命名为炳灵角蟾梵净山亚种(M.b.fanjingmontis subsp.nov.)。本亚种主要鉴别特征为犁骨棱较弱,后端无犁骨齿,上颌有细齿;第一、二指上婚刺细密,趾侧缘膜窄;体腹面斑少,两侧黑褐色长形斑明显;体型较大,雄性头体长大于60.00 mm;趾间具1/3蹼。     

A new cascade frog of the subgenus Odorrana from peninsular Malaysia

We describe a new species of cascade frog of the genus Rana, from west Malaysia. Rana monjerai, new species is a medium-sized frog of the subgenus Odorrana (SVL of males, 38-43 mm; of one female, 75 mm), and is distinguished from all other members of this subgenus by the combination of: white lip stripe, dorsolateral fold, full web on the fourth toe, vomerine teeth, gular vocal pouch and relatively large tympanum in males, no dorsal marking, no clear light spots on rear of thigh, first finger subequal to second, finely tuberculated dorsum, and unpigmented ova. The significance of finding this species from peninsular Malaysia is discussed.     

A New Species of Gracixalus(Anura: Rhacophoridae) from West Guangxi,China

We discovered a new species of the genus Gracixalus,Gracixalus tianlinensis sp.nov.which is morphologically almost similar to G.jinggangensis,G.jinxiuensis and G.sapaensis,but is distinguished from these species and all other rhacophorids in China and adjoining countries by a combination of the following characters:(1)SVL 30.3-35.9 mm in male,35.6-38.7 mm in female,(2)head length less than head width,(3)vomerine teeth absent,(4)supratympanic fold distinct,(5)axilla and posterior surface of flanks pale yellow,(6)nuptial pads distinct on Finger I and slightly visible on Finger II,(7)dorsum brown to beige,with an inverse Y-shaped dark brown marking,(8)single subgular vocal sac.Our preliminary phylogenetic analyses implied G.tianlinensis sp.nov.is sister to G.sapaensis with well-supported values.Currently,this new species is known to be distributed in montane evergreen forests in association with montane bamboo in Cenwanglaoshan National Nature Reserve,Tianlin County,Guangxi,China.     

Description of two new genera, Santelmoa and Bentartia and two new species of Zoarcidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the Southern Ocean

Two new genera of lycodine zoarcid fish, Santelmoa and Bentartia, and two new species, Santelmoa carmenae and Bentartia cinerea, are described from 13 specimens collected from the Gerlache Strait, Southern Ocean, at 1,056-m depth. Santelmoa can be distinguished from all other lycodine genera by the combination of the following characters: anterior portion of frontals fused; scapular foramen open; ceratohyal–epihyal articulation interdigitating; cranium narrowed; supratemporal commissure and occipital pores absent; intercalar reaching the prootic; parasphenoid wing well developed; palatal arch well developed; posterior hyomandibular ramus short; post-temporal ventral ramus well developed; six branchiostegal rays; vertebrae asymmetrical; pelvic fin rays ensheathed; scales, lateral line, pyloric caeca, palatine and vomerine teeth present. Bentartia differs from the remaining lycodine genera by the following combination of characters: basioccipital and exoccipitals fused; supraoccipital–exoccipital articulation broadly contacting; ceratohyal–epihyal articulation interdigitating; post-temporal ventral ramus weak; two posterior nasal pores; cranium narrowed; supratemporal commissure and occipital pores absent; intercalar set posteriorly; palatal arch well developed; posterior hyomandibular ramus not elongate; parasphenoid wing high; six branchiostegal rays; vertebrae asymmetrical; pelvic fin rays ensheathed; scales, lateral line, pyloric caeca, palatine and vomerine teeth present. The relationships of the two new genera are discussed.     

中国臭蛙属一新种

通过形态学比较和12Sm tDNA序列比对发现,采自福建省武夷山的臭蛙标本与模式标本产地花臭蛙差异显著,鉴定为1新种黄岗臭蛙Odorrana huanggangensis sp.nov.。其主要鉴别特征为:1)雄性个体约为雌性个体长的1/2;2)头长与头宽几相等;3)犁骨齿2短列,约等于两内缘间距宽;4)外侧3指有窄的指侧缘膜,第1、5趾侧缘膜达趾基部;5)股、胫部背面有3～4条宽的褐色横纹,股后部褐色斑大而密集;6)趾间全蹼,各趾之蹼达趾吸盘基部;7)雄性具1对咽侧下外声囊,背面有粉白色雄性线;8)雄性腹面咽胸部、腹部以及前臂内侧和上、下颌缘密布细小白刺;9)雌性腹内成熟卵动物极棕褐色,植物极米黄色,卵径2.6mm左右。对新种发现所揭示的含义进行了探讨。     

A new species of Gracixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from northern Vietnam

We describe a new species of small tree frog from northern Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Gracixalus waza sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners and other small rhacophorid species on the basis of a combination of the following characters: (1) size small (snout-vent length of males 27.1–32.9 mm, of females 37.6 mm); (2) head as wide as or wider than long; (3) vomerine teeth absent; (4) snout rounded and long (16–18 % of the snout-vent length); (5) spines on upper eyelid absent; (6) tibiotarsal projection absent; (7) dorsal skin smooth; (8) dermal fringes on forearm and tarsus absent; (9) dorsal surface of head and body greyish-green to moss-green with dark brown pattern forming an inverse Y marking; and (10) throat and chest with dark marbling. Our molecular data showed that the new species is nested in the same group with Gracixalus jinxiuensis sensu lato.     

A new species of rain-pool frog (Dicroglossidae: Fejervarya) from western Thailand

We describe a new species,Fejervarya muangkanensis sp.nov.,based on a series of specimens collected from Ban Tha Khanun,Thong Pha Phum District,Kanchanaburi Province,Thailand.The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by morphological and molecular data,and can be diagnosed by the following characters:(1) small size (adult male snout-vent length (SVL) 33.5 mm;female SVL 40.0-40.9 mm);(2) tympanum small,discernible but unclear;(3) poorly developed toe webbing;(4) no lateral line system in adults;(5)characteristic “Fejervaryan” lines present in females;and (6) femoral glands absent.Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA further supports it as a distinct lineage and distinguishes it from its congeners for which sequences are available.     

中国蛙类一新种(无尾目,蛙科)

描述了1种采自广西猫儿山国家级自然保护区的蛙类1新种,模式标本保存于沈阳师范大学自然博物馆.猫儿山林蛙,新种Rana maoershanensis sp.nov.(图1～17)正模:SYNU 06020120,雄性成体,李丕鹏和王绍能于2006年2月采集自广西壮族自治区猫儿山国家级自然保护区,海拔1 980 m.配模:SYNU 06020091,SYNU 06020122和SYNU06020124,雄性成体;SYNU06020121,SYNU06040153,SYN 0604154和SYNU 06040155,雌性成体.李丕鹏和王绍能于2006年2月和4月采集,采集地点与正模相同.蝌蚪:SYNU0602001和SYNU 0604001系列,采集信息与配模标本相同.新种具有如下主要鉴别特征:1)体略大;2)头宽略大于头长;3)背侧褶明显且略弯曲;4)胫跗关节前达眼角;5)雄性婚垫2团,无内声囊,腹部无雄性线;6)蝌蚪唇齿式多为Ⅰ:3-3/Ⅲ:1-1,少数为Ⅰ:3-3/Ⅳ.新种在头型上与中国林蛙相似,在体形上与昭觉林蛙相似.但与已知林蛙均有明显不同.新种的背侧褶略显弯曲,这一特点明显不同于主要分布于中国北方的黑龙江林蛙种组Rana amurensis group和中国林蛙种组R.chensinensis group的成员.新种与长肢林蛙种组R.longicrus group的镇海林蛙R.zhenhaiensis在背侧褶的弯曲特点上相似,但前者有别于后者的主要特点有:头型较宽扁,雌蛙后腿相对较长,蝌蚪唇齿式多为Ⅰ:3-3/Ⅲ:1-1.新种与长肢林蛙种组的其他林蛙不仅在背侧褶和头型等方面明显有别,而且蝌蚪唇齿式也显著不同.通过对四川、贵州和云南的昭觉林蛙R.chaochiaoensis成体和蝌蚪标本(包括地模标本)的核查和比较,新种的胫跗关节前达眼角,皮肤光滑,缺乏疣粒,雄性腹侧无雄性线,蝌蚪下唇乳突排列规则,中央无缺刻;而昭觉林蛙胫跗关节前达鼻孔或超过吻端,体侧和背部有圆疣或长疣,雄性背腹侧均有雄性线,蝌蚪下唇中央乳头排列稀疏或有缺刻.     

A New Species of the Genus Rhacophorus(Anura:Rhacophoridae) from Southern China

A new species of rhacophorid of the genus Rhacophorus is described from the Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, Southern China. Rhacophorus pinglongensis sp. nov. is compared with congeners from China and other parts of Southeast Asia. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by combination of following characters:(1) small size(adult male, SVL 32.0-38.5 mm);(2) smooth and green dorsum;(3) flanks, axilla, ventral surface of forearms, inguinal, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs, ventral surface of shank, and dorsal surface of feet covered with black blotches with white spots or white spots with a faint orange tint;(4) ventral surface of feet and webbing tangerine;(5) supratympanic fold weak;(6) outer margin of forearms and feet with low dermal ridges;(7) calcars absent on heels;(8) iris silver, diffusing to ecru laterally with light khaki ring along margin. The new species is closely related to R. dorsoviridis, R. moltrechti, and R. nigropunctatus based on adult morphology. Currently, this species is known only from mid-elevation montane evergreen forest in the Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China.     

A new species of Telmatobius (Amphibia,Anura, Telmatobiidae) from the Pacific slopes of the Andes,Peru

We describe a new species of Telmatobius from the Pacific slopes of the Andes in central Peru. Specimens were collected at 3900 m elevation near Huaytará, Huancavelica, in the upper drainage of the Pisco river. The new species has a snout–vent length of 52.5 ± 1.1 mm (49.3–55.7 mm, n = 6) in adult females, and 48.5 mm in the single adult male. The new species has bright yellow and orange coloration ventrally and is readily distinguished from all other central Peruvian Andean species of Telmatobius but Telmatobius intermedius by having vomerine teeth but lacking premaxillary and maxillary teeth, and by its slender body shape and long legs. The new species differs from Telmatobius intermedius by its larger size, flatter head, and the absence of cutaneous keratinized spicules (present even in immature females of Telmatobius intermedius), and in males by the presence of minute, densely packed nuptial spines on dorsal and medial surfaces of thumbs (large, sparsely packed nuptial spines in Telmatobius intermedius). The hyper-arid coastal valleys of Peru generally support low species richness, particularly for groups such as aquatic breeding amphibians. The discovery of a new species in this environment, and along a major highway crossing the Andes, shows that much remains to be done to document amphibian diversity in Peru.     

Hainanenins: a novel family of antimicrobial peptides with strong activity from Hainan cascade-frog, Amolops hainanensis

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) secreted by amphibian skin represent an important innate immune defense strategy. There are more than 340 species in the family of Ranidae worldwidely, and from which nearly 100 families of AMPs comprising between 8 and 48 amino acid (aa) residues have been characterized. In current work, two novel AMPs were purified from the skin secretion of Hainan cascade-frog, Amolops hainanensis, and 31 cDNA sequences encoding 10 novel AMPs belonging to 4 families were cloned from the constructed skin cDNA library of A. hainanensis. Among these 10 AMPs, 5 peptides represent the prototypes of a novel amphibian AMP family. According to the generic name of the species of origin, they were designated as hainanenin-1-5. Each of them consists of 21 aa residues with a C-terminal disulphide loop of 7 residues between Cys(15) and Cys(21). Two of them (hainanenin-1 and 5) were then synthesized and their in vitro activities were screened, including antimicrobial, hemolytic and antioxidant activities. The results showed that hainanenin-1 and 5 possessed strong and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, including a large number of clinically isolated drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, and slight antioxidant activity. Undesirably, hainanenin-1 and 5 exhibited strong hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes. The discovery of hainanenins and their great antimicrobial potency provides new templates for anti-infective agent design.     

A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton （Urodela： Salamandridae） from Northeastern Hunan Province,China

We describe a new species from the family Salamandridae from northeastern Hunan Province of China based on morphological and molecular genetic evidences.The new species,Tylototriton liuyangensis,is a member of the T.asperrimus group,and shares a number of similarities with T.wenxianensis and T.broadoridgus.The dorsal surface of the new Tylototriton species is completely black,with nodule-like warts distributed evenly along the lateral margin of dorsal body,and there is no transverse striae between the warts.There are several diagnostic characters of the new species that differ from those of T.wenxianensis and T.broadoridgus as follows：（1）the interorbital space（IOS）is comparatively wide;（2）there is a bony ridge present on the dorsal head surface,running along the upper eyelids;（3）the space between axilla and groin（AGS）is comparatively large,with the mean male AGS approximately equal to 50%of the snout-vent length（SVL）and the mean female AGS being 53%of SVL;and（4）there is a small genital armature on the anterior angle of labial folds present inside the anal fissure of adult males during the breeding season.The result from the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Tylototriton（including the type specimen of the new species）based on the complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene（1035 bp）indicated that the new species was similar to T.wenxianensis,T.dabienicus,and T.broadoridgus,but formed an independent clade.This result was consistent with the morphological analysis above,supporting that the Liuyang Population represented a distinct species.     

中国浙江发现树蛙属一新种（两栖纲：树蛙科）

依据形态特征比较和分子系统发育分析,将采自浙江丽水的树蛙属物种订为一新种——丽水树蛙Rhacophorus lishuiensis Liu,Wang and Jiang,sp.nov.。新种丽水树蛙主要鉴别特征为:1)体型较小,雄性体长34.2~35.8 mm,雌性体长45.9 mm;2)鼓膜直径大于眼径之半;3)后肢较短,胫跗关节前伸贴体达眼后角;4)背面光滑,无明显疣粒;5)生活时背面绿色,无斑或散有稀疏的浅蓝绿色细点;6)咽喉部白色,虹彩黄色;7)雄性具单咽下内声囊,第一指基部具浅黄色婚垫。依据线粒体基因12S rRNA、tRNAval和16S rRNA共2 038 bp序列以贝叶斯法构建树蛙属41个物种间的系统发育关系,新种丽水树蛙为一个独立的支系,并与绿背树蛙(R.dorsoviridis)支系以高支持率形成姐妹群(后验概率1.00),支长较长。     

Ecology and reproductive patterns of the agamid lizard Japalura swinhonis on an east Asian island, with comments on the small clutch sizes of island lizards

I describe the habitat use, diet, and the male and female reproductive cycles of Japalura swinhonis, an oviparous agamid lizard inhabiting Orchid Island, a tropical island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. Ninety percent of lizards (n=126) were observed on tree trunks or at the forest edge. The diet of J. swinhonis on Orchid Island consisted mostly of hymenopterans (53.33%) and orthopterans (16.67%). The mean snout-vent length (SVL) of adult males was 74.58 (n=89) and that of females was 69.31 (n=37) mm. Females exhibited a long vitellogenic period from November to February, with parturition occurring from March to October. The onset of vitellogenesis did not correlate with the mass of the female fat bodies. Females produced two to five eggs per clutch, and clutch size was not correlated with SVL. Two clutches were recorded during a single year in some individuals. Clutch size in J. swinhonis was compared with that in other Japalura species. Clutch sizes of Japalura species are larger in mainland China than on insular Taiwan. Clutch size is also mainly affected by environmental constraints, and smaller clutch sizes are probably affected by predators on Orchid Island.