Skip to main content

Yanyuan toothed toad (Oreolalax yanyuanensis) lives at 3000-3200 meters, the highest in genus

Yanyuan toothed toad (Oreolalax yanyuanensis) lives at 3000-3200 meters, the highest in genus

NEWS - Based on morphological and molecular evidence, the researchers report a new toad in Oreolalax Myers & Leviton, 1962, which is so far only known from Shuhe Township, Yanyuan County, southern Sichuan Province, China. Yanyuan toothed toad (Oreolalax yanyuanensis) improves our understanding of species diversity in the genus Oreolalax.

The new species is assigned to the genus Oreolalax based on the characteristics of prominent maxillary teeth, rough back, large spots, covered with oval black spots, vertical pupils, a rather wide and posteriorly grooved tongue, prominent femoral glands, and pectoral and axillary glands present in males.

At least 19 species of Oreolalax have been documented in southwest China and northern Vietnam. O. yanyuanensis occurs at elevations of 3000-3200 meters and can be distinguished from several other Oreolalax species below 3000 meters. The new species is genetically closest to O. rugosus, O. liangbeiensis and O. major. The morphology is also clearly different from the three in the proportion of measurements.

The new species can be distinguished from the other species by the medium body size (39.8-52.8 mm) in males, no tympanic membrane, 1/3 toe webbing, triangular pattern between the eyes, presence of spiny spots on the middle of the chest, presence of dark stripes on the legs and presence of various brown spots scattered on the abdomen.

The specific epithet “yanyuan” refers to the type locality in Yanyuan County, Sichuan Province. We propose the common name as “Yanyuan toothed toad” and the Chinese name as “Yan Yuan Chi Chan (盐源齿蟾)”.

O. yanyuanensis inhabits shrubs in subtropical mountain swamps and small mountain streams. The researchers estimated the breeding period in April or May based on the developmental stage of the tadpoles. Four sympatric amphibian species are Bombina maxima Boulenger 1905, Rana chaochiaoensis Liu 1946, Panophrys binchuanensis Ye & Fei 1995 and Nanorana sichuanensis Dubois 1987.

Most Oreolalax species are distributed in the eastern Hengduan Mountains and surrounding mountains in the Sichuan Basin at elevations of 700-3550 m. More than half of the Oreolalax species are listed as “threatened” by the IUCN due to habitat degradation, logging, tourism and invasive species. About 12 species are listed as “vulnerable, near threatened, endangered or critically endangered”.

In addition, some species are only recorded at type sites and habitats are not covered by any biodiversity conservation network, even with a high risk of extinction (O. puxiongensis). Furthermore, the unassessed O. longmenmontis has faced low populations and habitat loss. Status assessment is needed for these groups, especially O. yanyuanensis and O. weigoldi.

Original research

Hou YM, Zheng PY, Yu HQ, Wang B, Chen XH, Xie F (2024). A new toad of Oreolalax Myers & Leviton, 1962 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Sichuan Province, southwest China. ZooKeys 1212: 109-127, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1212.122222

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Crested blue ear (Cyanotis cristata)

Crested blue ear ( Cyanotis cristata ) is a species of plant in the Commelinaceae, a fleshy and strong herb, growing as a vine. Leaves 8 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, oblong, rounded or heart-shaped base, blunt or pointed tip, sparsely ciliated at the edge; sheath loose, up to 8 mm long, scaly. C. cristata has flowers 6-7 mm in diameter. Calyx tube 2 mm long, lobes 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Corolla pale blue to purple, 6 mm long. Stamen filaments bearded, purple. Ovary rounded, hairy at the apex. Capsules 2-3 mm long, ovate. Seeds about 1 mm long, trigonous, 2 large holes on either side. This species grows in grasslands, degraded forest areas, wastelands, waterways and roadsides. C. cristata is found in wet rocky areas, moist soils, grasslands, ravines and riverbanks. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Commelinales Family: Commelinaceae Subfamily: Commelinoideae Tribe: Tradescantieae Genus: Cyanotis Species: Cyanotis cristata
Read more

Thomas Sutikna lives with Homo floresiensis

BLOG - On October 28, 2004, a paper was published in Nature describing the dwarf hominin we know today as Homo floresiensis that has shocked the world. The report changed the geographical landscape of early humans that previously stated that the Pleistocene Asia was only represented by two species, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens . The report titled "A new small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia" written by Peter Brown and Mike J. Morwood from the University of New England with Thomas Sutikna, Raden Pandji Soejono, Jatmiko, E. Wahyu Saptomo and Rokus Awe Due from the National Archaeology Research Institute (ARKENAS), Indonesia, presents more diversity in the genus Homo. “Immediately, my fever vanished. I couldn’t sleep well that night. I couldn’t wait for sunrise. In the early morning we went to the site, and when we arrived in the cave, I didn’t say a thing because both my mind and heart couldn’t handle this incredible moment. I just went down...
Read more

Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)

Broad-leaved dock ( Rumex obtusifolius ) is a species of plant in the Polygonaceae, herbaceous perennial, growing broadly, up to 150 cm tall, large, oval-shaped leaves with a heart-shaped base and rounded tip, large taproot with many branches extending to a depth of 150 cm. R. obtusifolius has leaves up to 30 cm long, 15 cm wide and green. Stems are long, hard, alternate, green or reddish in color and unbranched until just below the inflorescence. A main vein in the middle and green or reddish in color. Flat or wavy surface. The inflorescences consist of large clusters of racemes that contain small, greenish flowers that turn red as they mature. Seeds are reddish brown and dry. Broad-leaved dock grows in fertile soils, grasslands, waste lands, roadsides, ditches, coastlines and riverbanks, forest margins, forest clearing and agricultural land. The leaves are used as a salad to make vegetable broth or cooked like spinach. Dried seeds are used as a spice. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tr...
Read more