A new species of Megophrys (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from the northwestern Hunan Province, China

Abstract

A new species of Megophrys (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae), Megophrys tuberogranulatus Shen, Mo et Li, sp. nov. (Holotype HNUL 03080902, adult male, SVL: 38.2 mm), from Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, is described. Megophrys tuberogranulatus is closely related to both Megophrys kuatunensis and Megophrys minor. Characters of the new species that differentiate this species from close relatives are skin granulated with big tubercles on the dorsal sides of both thigh and tibia, the bigger inner metacarpal tubercle, upper eyelid wider than the interorbital space, hind limbs longer, overlapping of the left and right calcaneal parts. The type specimens are deposited in the Animal Museum of Life Sciences College of Hunan Normal University.

Morphology, Molecular Genetics, and Bioacoustics Support Two New Sympatric Xenophrys Toads (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) in Southeast China

“…Luoxiao Mountains are situated in the middle of southeast Chinese subtropical mountain ranges with complex topography and biogeography [44] . It is connected to Nanling Mountains in the south, which is a stronghold for X. mangshanensis [7] indicating potential parapatric. It is further paralleled with Huangshan-Tianmu and Yandang-Wuyi-Daiyun Mountains in the east, which harbors X. kuatunensis, X. huangshanensis and X. boettgeri [7] , indicating potential allopatric.…”

“…It is connected to Nanling Mountains in the south, which is a stronghold for X. mangshanensis [7] indicating potential parapatric. It is further paralleled with Huangshan-Tianmu and Yandang-Wuyi-Daiyun Mountains in the east, which harbors X. kuatunensis, X. huangshanensis and X. boettgeri [7] , indicating potential allopatric. In a finer scale, we found that three sympatric Xenophrys species in Mt.…”

“…The horned toads, Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt, 1822 and Xenophrys Günther, 1864, in the family Megophryidae, are an exemplary group with high cryptic species diversity [7] – [10] , making their systematics and taxonomies poorly understood and considerablly debated, even though herpetologists have employed various taxonomic methods [8] , [11] – [14] . Pending comprehensive phylogenetic and morphological research, we followed the recommendations of Li & Wang [13] and Pyron and Wiens [15] that Xenophrys is distinguished from Megophrys and all previously known Megophrys species in China and should be assigned to the genus Xenophrys .…”

Generic classification of Asian horned toads (Anura: Megophryidae: Megophryinae) and monograph of Chinese species

“…Diagnosis: Based on previous descriptions ( Fei & Ye, 2016 ; Mo et al, 2010 ) and examined specimens: (1) adult males, SVL 33.2–40.3 mm ( n =9; Fei & Ye, 2016 ) (SVL 44.0 mm, n =1; this study); adult female, SVL 50.5 mm ( n =1; Fei & Ye, 2016 ); (2) canthus rostralis well developed; tongue not notched posteriorly; (3) tympanum distinct; (4) vomerine ridges and vomerine teeth absent; (5) dorsal skin granulated with faint folds and tubercles; weak discontinuous X-shaped ridge on center of dorsum or absent, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges indistinct or absent; large tubercles on flanks and dorsal hindlimbs; ventral skin smooth; (6) outer margin of upper eyelid with small horn-like prominent tubercle; supratympanic fold distinct and narrow, curving posteroventrally to above arm; (7) two metacarpal tubercles indistinct, inner one observably enlarged; relative finger lengths II<I=IV<III; subarticular tubercle at base of each finger; (8) hindlimbs slender, heels slightly overlapping when hindlimbs folded; tibiotarsal articulation reaching anterior corner of eye when leg stretched forward; (9) toes with rudimentary webbing at bases but without lateral fringes; inner metatarsal tubercle indistinct, outer one absent; (10) dorsal surface yellowish brown with irregular netlike dark brown markings; dorsal limbs with dark brown transverse bands; posterior flank and anterior thighs near groin red; ventral surface purplish brown, belly whitish netlike markings; (11) nuptial pads bearing black nuptial spines on dorsal bases of fingers I and II in breeding adult males; subgular vocal sac present in males ( Figure 18I ).…”

Review of morphometric measurements used in anuran species descriptions and recommendations for a standardized approach

“…A key observation made in this survey is that the field of anuran systematics is experiencing a rapid growth of taxonomic descriptions, yet is accompanied by a disproportionately slower increase in authoritative studies cited, and often absent or poorly described methodological guidelines for subsequent researchers to use. For example, the character Tympanum Diameter (TD) was defined as such in the surveyed literature: (1) diameter of tympanum, (2) greatest diameter of tympanum, (3) horizontal diameter of tympanum, (4) horizontal width of tympanum (5) maximum tympanum diameter (Grant et al 2007;Onn et al 2009;Mo et al 2010;Ohler et al 2011 (Table 1), which would then provide the researcher with the unambiguous information on how to interpret and measure the character Tympanum Diameter. There can be no consistency in measurements if the same term can mean several different things depending on who is measuring and how they define it, which can lead to an inability to compare morphometric measurements across broad anuran taxa.…”