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.     

A new species of the genus Amolops (Anura: Ranidae) from high-altitude Sichuan,southwestern China,with a discussion on the taxonomic status of Amolops kangtingensis

A new species of the genus Amolops Cope,1865 is described from Xinduqiao,Kangding,Sichuan.It was previously identified as Amolops kangtingensis,which is synonymized to Amolops mantzorum in this study.The new species,Amolops xinduqiao sp.nov.,is distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters:(1) medium body size,adult males SVL 41.2-47.5 mm (n=15,average 43.9 mm),adult females SVL 48.5-56.6 mm (n=15,average 52.5 mm);(2) head length equal to width or slightly wider than long;(3) tympanum small,but distinct;(4) vomerine teeth in two tiny rows,separated by a space about one vomerine teeth row;(5) bony projections on lower jaw absent;(6) dorsolateral folds usually absent;(7) tarsal folds or glands on tarsus absent;(8) circummarginal groove on disc of finger Ⅰ absent;(9) tibiotarsal articulation reaching nostril or beyond;(10) webs of toe Ⅳ reaching to distal articulation,other toes fully webbed to disc;and (11) vocal sac absent in males.     

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 Genus Microhyla(Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from Zhejiang Province,China

We described a new species, Microhyla beilunensis sp. nov., from Zhejiang Province of China. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 12 S, 16 S and CO1 gene sequences suggested that the new taxon was distinctly separated from its congeners and closed to M. mixtura and M. okinavensis. Morphologically, the new species could be identified from its congeners except M. mixtura by several characters:(1) rudimentary webs on toe base;(2) absence of disks and dorsal median longitudinal grooves on finger tips;(3) presence of disks and dorsal median longitudinal grooves on toe tips. As well, the new species could be identified from topotype M. mixtura by the combination of characters:(1) apart from the stripes, bar-shaped and oval-shaped patterns, the rounded spots present on the dorsum of body and legs;(2) the outer metacarpal tubercles prominently larger than the inner one;(3) of males, the ratios of HW, IND, UEW and LAW to SVL of the new species were significantly larger than those of M. mixtura(P 0.01), and the ratios of SL, IOD, LAHL, HLL, TL, TFL and FL to SVL of the new species were significantly less than those of M. mixtura(P 0.05).     

A New Species of the Genus Leptolalax(Anura: Megophryidae) from Northern Thailand

A new species of the genus Leptolalax is described from Doi Saket, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) adult size large(male SVL 45.8-52.5 mm); 2) tympanum distinct; 3) skin of dorsal surface mostly smooth, with distinct tubercles on dorsal and lateral parts of the body; 4) ventrolateral glandular ridge distinct and complete; 5) lateral body and groin covered with dark brown or black spots; 6) throat, chest, and belly nearly immaculate white; and 7) bi-colored iris, upper onethird golden, and lower two-thirds gray. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA further distinguishes it from its congeners for which sequences are available.     

A New Species of Euphlyctis (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Barisal,Bangladesh

A new species of the genus Euphlyctis is described from the Barisal district of Bangladesh and compared with its morphologically similar and geographically proximate congeners. The new species is highly divergent in comparison to other congeneric species on basis of sequence divergence in mitochondrial DNA gene sequences (ranging from 5.5% to 17.8% divergence). Euphlyctis kalasgramensis sp. nov. can be readily diagnosed by having the following combination of characters: snout-vent length (SVL) 30.44 – 37.88 mm, absence of mid-dorsal line, nostril–snout length 3% of SVL, nostril much closer to snout tip than eye, nostril–snout length 48% of distance from front of eyes to nostril, relative length of fingers (shortest to longest: 1 = 2 < 4 < 3), tibia length 59% of SVL, foot length 55% of SVL.     

A New Species of Leptolalax （Anura： Megophryidae） from Southern China

A new species, Leptolalax laui sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from Hong Kong and Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from other known congeners by morphological and molecular data. The new species is characterized by the following characters： 1） small size （adult males SVL 24.8.1 mm-26.7 mm）; 2） near immaculate creamy white chest and belly; 3） broad lateral fringes on toes; 4） head longer or as long as wide; 5） distinct dark brown spots in flank; 6） moderate dermal fringes on fingers; 7） brown or reddish-brown dorsum with fine round scattered tubercles; 8） thin traverse brownish-grey bars on the dorsal surface of tibia and lower arms; 9） longitudinal ridges under toes not interrupted at the articulations.     

A new species of fossorial natricid snakes of the genus Trachischium Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Himalayas of northeastern India

A new species of natricid snakes, Trachischium apteii sp. nov. is described from the northeastern Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. The new species differs from its congeners in the following suite of characters: dorsal scales in 15:15:15 rows, SVL 293–299 mm, higher ventral count 143–150, very faint dorsal longitudinal lines, absence of yellow patch on the neck and the belly being pale yellow. Preliminary discussion on the phylogenetic position of the members of the genus Trachischium is presented. This discovery of a new snake species advocates the need for dedicated surveys to document biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring States of northeastern India.     

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.。     

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.     

Reproduction and sexual dimorphism in the viviparous lizard Sceloporus palaciosi (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt,Mexico

In this study, sexual dimorphism, reproductive cycles, litter size and offspring size of a population of the little‐known species Sceloporus palaciosi in central Mexico were analysed. Significant male‐biased sexual size dimorphism was recorded in snout–vent length (SVL), head length, head width, forearm length and tibia length. Both sexes showed asynchronous reproductive cycles, and males reached sexual maturity at a smaller SVL (33 mm) than females (37 mm). Testes volumes were small from January to February, testicular recrudescence began from March to June, and decreased in July, but increased again in August and September, followed by a second decrease from October to December. In females, vitellogenesis began from May until ovulation in December. Embryonic development extended from November to March, and a small number of females carried embryos through July. Mean litter size was 4.0 and was positively correlated with female SVL. The length of the reproductive period in S. palaciosi recorded in this study is longer than that recorded for other populations in other parts of this species range. Further studies are needed to clarify reproductive cycles in the other isolated populations of S. palaciosi, and then extended to other species and chromosome races in the Sceloporus grammicus complex.     

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。     

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.     

Effects of body size,diet, and transience on the demography of the arboreal boid snake Corallus grenadensis on Carriacou (Grenada Grenadines,West Indies)

Remarkably little is known about the demography of snakes in the family Boidae. This lack of information may be attributed, in part, to low population densities on the Neotropical mainland, rendering capture-recapture methods impractical for many species. Conversely, islands support fewer species but snake densities can be much higher. Corallus grenadensis is an arboreal boid endemic to the Grenada Bank and, relative to mainland boids, can be amazingly abundant. As young, its diet is comprised largely of native Anolis lizards, a ubiquitous and abundant food source; it then undergoes an ontogenetic shift in diet to a less abundant resource, rodents. From 2015 to 2019, we marked 254 C. grenadensis and used capture–recapture models to estimate abundance, capture probabilities, survival, and the proportion of transients. We hypothesized that the transient effect would increase with body size (snout–vent length [SVL]), prompted by their ontogenetic shift in diet. Capture probabilities increased with sampling effort and decreased with increasing SVL. Abundance ranged from 96 to 141 individuals and annual resident survival was 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54–0.83. The proportion of transients increased with increasing SVL, with the estimate being distinguishable from zero starting at ~810 mm SVL, coinciding with the size at which their dietary shift from ectothermic to endothermic prey begins. Ontogenetic dietary shifts are widespread in snakes and occur in at least 11 of 17 species of West Indian boids. Thus, the prominence of transients in our study may be indicative of its demographic and ecological importance among other snake species.     

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.     

Reproductive ecology of red-chinned lizards (Sceloporus undulatus erythrocheilus) in Southcentral Colorado: comparisons with other populations of a wide-ranging species

Summary We studied the reproductive ecology of a population of Sceloporus undulatus erythrocheilus near Walsenburg, CO during the summers of 1987–1990. Reproductive activity commences soon after emergence in early May and continues until the middle of July. Females mature in their second year following hatching at an age of 20–21 months and a size of 60–63 mm snout-vent length (SVL). Two clutches, averaging10.9 eggs, are produced per year. Larger females produce larger clutches with an increase of one egg per 3 mm SVL. Average SVL of females was 71 mm. Eggs are reasonably large (0.32 g) and relative clutch mass was the largest reported for the species (34% of body mass). A principal component analysis was used to examine relationships among reproductive characters in 12 populations of Sceloporus undulatus. The analysis suggested that patterns of reproduction in this wide-ranging species result from several factors reflecting both adaptive and phylogenetic sources of variation.     

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of a new brackish pleurostomatid ciliate,Loxophyllum paludosum sp. n. (Ciliophora,Litostomatea, Haptoria), from a mangrove wetland in China

A new ciliate species of the genus Loxophyllum Dujardin, 1841, Loxophyllum paludosum sp. n., is described from a mangrove wetland near Daya Bay in Guangdong Province, southern China, based on morphological and molecular analyses. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) 12–14 right kineties and 4–6 left kineties; (2) two macronuclear nodules and one micronucleus; (3) a single contractile vacuole located terminally; (4) extrusomes bar-shaped, evenly spaced along entire ventral margin, and clustered to form 5–7 warts along dorsal margin; and (5) presence of three ridges on the left side of cell. The new species is divergent from its congeners from 0.4% to 6.7% (5–104 nucleotide sites) based on the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence data. The validity of the new species is also supported by molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from SSU rRNA gene sequences.     

中国蛙科一新种——版纳大头蛙(两栖纲:无尾目)

经核查和鉴定中国云南等地原定名为大头蛙[Limnonectes kuhlii(=Rana kuhlii Tschudi,1838)]的标本及相关文献资料,并与产地为印度尼西亚的爪哇大头蛙(Limnonectes kuhlii)模式标本的有关描述相对比,两者在其形态、染色体及线粒体基因分化等特征上均有明显区别,因此将云南、广西等地标本的种名改订为新种,即版纳大头蛙(Limnonectes bannaensis,sp.nov.)。其主要鉴别特征是:1)背面较光滑,具少数细肤棱,体后部有小圆疣;2)体背面浅褐色或灰褐色,肤褶上有黑纹;3)蝌蚪尾部具深色斑纹,但尾后半段不呈黑色;4)其染色体组型为2n=22(20m 2st)。而爪哇产大头蛙:1)背面粗糙,体背部、胫部和肛部周围满布圆形疣粒;2)体背面为黑大理石色或为黑色;3)蝌蚪尾部后半段为黑色;4)染色体组型为2n=26,5对大染色体,8对小染色体,除第8对为亚端部着丝粒外,其余均为中部和亚中部着丝粒。