A New Species of Toad (Anura: Bufonidae: Rhinella) from Northern Peru

Abstract

We describe a new species of Rhinella from montane forests between 1788 and 2305 m a.s.l. in the Departamentos Amazonas and San Martín, Peru. We tentatively assign the new species to the Rhinella festae species Group based on morphological similarities with its other 19 members. It is characterised by large size (maximum SVL 91.6 mm in females), a pointed and protruding snout that is posteroventrally inclined, absence of a visible tympanic annulus and tympanic membrane, long parotoid glands in contact with upper eyelid, presence of a dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles, outer dorsolateral tarsus surface with a subconical ridge of fused tubercles, and absence of subgular vocal sac and vocal slits in males. One specimen from Departamento Amazonas tested positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

A new species of terrestrial toad of the Rhinella festae group (Anura, Bufonidae) from the highlands of the Central Cordillera of the Andes of Colombia

“…Reproductive ecology and behavior are important aspects to study in the near future for these poorly known toads. Lehr et al (2021) stated that R. manu is often found far away from the water, suggesting they also may reproduce through direct development. Although R. kumanday sp.…”

“… Rhinella Fitzinger, 1826 ( Bufonidae ) comprises 92 species of toads distributed mainly in the Neotropical region ( Pereyra et al 2021 ; Frost 2023 ). Over the past decades, several studies have delved into the taxonomic and phylogenetic complexity of the genus, resulting in the description of new species ( Pramuk 2006 ; Moravec et al 2014 ; Castillo-Urbina et al 2021 ; Lehr et al 2021 ), and the systematics examination of specific species groups ( Graybeal 1997 ; Maciel et al 2006 ; Pramuk 2006 ; Chaparro et al 2007 ; Fouquet et al 2007 ; Narvaes and Rodrigues 2009 ; Pyron and Wiens 2011 ; Moravec et al 2014 ; Pereyra et al 2016 ; 2021 ; Rivera et al 2021 ). In a more recent and comprehensive study of the systematics of Rhinella , Pereyra et al (2021) defined eight distinct species groups based on a combination of osteological, muscular, external morphology, and molecular data: R. arunco , R. crucifer , R. festae , R. granulosa , R. margaritifera , R. marina , R. spinulosa , and R. veraguensis .…”