Li chun horned toad (Boulenophrys lichun) makes mating calls in spring from rock crevices in Ningde City

NEWS - Researchers report Li chun horned toad (Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov.) from the coastal hills of eastern Fujian Province, China, that differs from all known relatives by a combination of morphological character differences and genetic divergence in the mitochondrial 16S + CO1 gene pool.

During a field survey in eastern Fujian, researchers collected a series of Boulenophrys specimens Fei, Ye & Jiang, 2016. Initial morphological examination indicated that the specimens differed from their known relatives by a series of distinct characters.

Subsequent molecular analysis further revealed that these specimens represent a separate evolutionary lineage, showing significant differences from their known relatives. Therefore, the researchers describe it as a new species.

B. lichun is small in size (SVL 33.5–37.0 mm in 5 adult males, SVL 47.1 mm in 1 adult female); rostra canthus well developed, tongue not notched posteriorly; tympanum distinct; vomerine ridge and vomerine teeth present.

Dorsal skin rough and very granular, discontinuous X-shaped ridges in the middle of the back, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges present, rare large tubercles on the sides of the body, dorsal legs with discontinuous transverse ridges and tubercles, ventral skin with prominent solid tubercles.

Outer margin of upper eyelid with prominent small horn-like tubercles, supratympanic folds distinct and narrow, curved posteroventrally above the arms; two metacarpal tubercles distinct, inner tubercles appear enlarged; relative toe length I < II < IV < III; subarticular tubercles distinct at the base of each toe; heels do not meet when hind legs are folded.

Tibio-tarsal articulation reaches from shoulder to posterior corner of eye; (9) toes without webbing and lateral tufts, inner metatarsal tubercles long ovoid, outer tubercles absent, relative toe length I < II < V < III < IV.

Dorsal surface yellowish brown with irregular dark brown spots, and dark brown triangular marking between eyes, dorsal legs and toes light brown with dark brown transverse bands; dense nuptial spines at dorsal base of first and second toes in breeding adults, subgular vocal sac present in males.

B. lichun may have heels that do not meet when hind legs are flexed and perpendicular to the body axis (vs. overlapping heels in most Boulenophrys species; heels just meeting in B. binchuanensis, B. elongata, B. lishuiensis, B. minor, B. xiangnanensis, B. xuefengmontis; heels just meeting or slightly overlapping in B. angka, B. daiyunensis, B. baolongensis, B. wushanensis, B. yunkaiensis).

B. lichun has a distally notched tongue (vs. distally notched tongue in B. brachykolos, B. insularis, B. pepe). B. lichun has vomerine teeth (vs. absent vomerine teeth in B. acuta, B. boettgeri, B. caobangensis, B. daoji, B. hungtai, B. hengshanensis, B. kuatunensis, B. ombrophila, B. obesa, B. shuichengensis, B. wugongensis).

B. lichun has lateral tufts on webbed toes (vs. rudimentary webbed toes in B. dongguanensis, B. fengshunensis, B. nankunensis, B. puningensis; narrow lateral tufts in B. rubrimera).

The new species is known only from the coastal hills of Ningde City, eastern Fujian, China. They inhabit flowing mountain seeps, forest floors and leaf litter. The habitat is surrounded by secondary forest mixed with bamboo groves at elevations of 150-510 m. Males call in February-May in rock crevices.

The specific name is derived from the Chinese Pinyin Lì Chūn, 立春 in Chinese, meaning early spring, the first of the 24 solar terms (24节气) in China. The name refers to the new species' mating season which begins around this time. The song of the new species heralds the arrival of spring in a given year.

Original research

Lin S-S, Chen H-H, Li Y-H, Peng Z-N, Zeng Z-C, Wang J (2024). A new Boulenophrys species (Anura, Megophryidae) from the coastal hills of eastern Fujian Province, China. ZooKeys 1216: 1-15, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1216.130017

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