Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

A New Frog of the Genus Oreolalax (Pelobatidae) from Sichuan, China Author(s): Guan-Fu Wu, Er-Mi Zhao, Robert F. Inger, H. Bradley Shaffer Source: Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Dec., 1993), pp. 410-413 Published by: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1564828 . Accessed: 16/03/2011 02:53

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http://www.jstor.org 410 F. MENDOZA Q. AND H. M. SMITH an eponym honoring Laurence M. Hardy, whose 1978. Ficimiaolivacea. Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. numerous reviews of the members of the genus 219:1-2. Ficimiahave established him as the ultimate au- . 1979. Ficimiaramirezi. Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 228:1. on its systematics, and have so impor- thority 1980a. Ficimia Cat. Am. tantly facilitated the understanding and study ruspator. Amph. Rept. of that others. 243:1. genus by .1980b. Ficimiapublia. Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. Acknowledgments.-We are much indebted to 254:1-2. Dr. William M. Lewis, Chairman of EPO Biol- 1980c. Ficimiavariegata. Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. at the of Colorado, for facilities 269:1-2. ogy University - . 1990. Ficimia.Cat. Am. 471:1-5. for to Dr. Shi-Kuei Wu, Curator of Zo- Amph. Rept. study; JOHNSON,J. D. 1989. A biogeographicanalysis of the at the of Colorado Museum, ology University herpetofauna of northwestern nuclear Central for the privilege of studying comparative ma- America. Milwaukee Public Mus. Contr. Biol. Geol. terial; to Biol. Mario Mancilla M. and Carlos 76:1-66. Camacho Alberto for assistance in the field; and LEE, J. C. 1980. An ecogeographic analysis of the to Dr. Oscar Flores Villela for constructive com- herpetofauna of the Yucatan peninsula. Misc. Publ. ments on the manuscript. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas 67:1-75. MENDOZA Q., F. 1990. Estudio herpetofaunistico en LITERATURECITED el transecto Zacualtipan-Zoquizoquipan-San Juan Metztitlan, Hidalgo. Tlalnepantla, Mexico (esta- ALVAREZDEL TORO, M. 1982. Los de reptiles Chiapas. do), Mexico, Esc. Nac. Est. Prof. Iztacala, UNAM. Tercera edici6n, aumentada. Tuxtla corregida y Tesis Profesional, 97 pp. Guti&rrez, Mexico, Inst. Historia Natural. Chiapas, PEREZ-H., G., ANDH. M. SMITH. 1990. The endemic 248 pp. coral snakes of the Los Tuxtlas southern GONGORA E. 1987. Lacandona: la region, A., Etnozoologia Veracruz, Mexico. Bull. Soc. 26: La Inst. Nac. Maryland Herp. herpetofauna de Canja-Chansayab. 5-13. Inv. Rec. Biot., Cuad. Divulg. (31):1-31. HARDY,L. M. 1975. A systematic revision of the Accepted: 16 July 1993. colubrid snake genus Ficimia. J. Herpetol. 9:133- 168. 1976. Ficimiastreckeri. Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 181:1-2.

A New Frog of the Genus Oreolalax(Pelobatidae) from Sichuan, China

GUAN-FU Wu,1 ER-MI ZHAO,1 ROBERTF. INGER,2AND H. BRADLEYSHAFFER3

'ChengduInstitute of Biology, Chengdu,Sichuan, PRC, 2FieldMuseum of Natural History, Chicago,Illinois 60605, USA, and 3Universityof Californiaat Davis, Davis, California95616, USA

ABSTRACT.-A new species of Oreolalaxis described from southwestern Sichuan, China. The species is distinguished from its many congeners in Sichuan by its small size (males = 50 mm SVL),smooth dorsum, and its black-spotted body. Unlike all other congeners, tadpoles of the new form have black spots on the body and tail.

A remarkably large number of species of pel- cies of Oreolalax. Two of these (0. omeimontis obatid frogs are known from Sichuan Province, and 0. popei) were found both as larvae and China, including 10 species of the genus Oreola- adults (Inger et al., 1990). The third was rep- lax (Zhao and Shi, 1982). Larval forms have been resented by several large larvae, which differed positively associated with all of these species from any others previously known. In May, (Liu and Hu, 1960, 1961; Liu et al., 1979; Fei and 1990, one of us (Wu) collected 54 tadpoles of Ye, 1984). During the course of field work in the same unknown form at Mt. Emei, Sichuan 1987 at Washan, Sichuan, we found three spe- Province, only 40 km from Washan. Two adult NEW PELOBATID FROG 411

WI males and two egg masses were collected at the r same time. The adults confirm that a new species is represented, which we describe here as Oreolalax multipunctatus,sp. nov. Figs. 1-2 Holotype.-Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB) WA9001, an adult male, collected at Mt. Emei, Sichuan Province, China, altitude 1800 m, on 26 May 1990, by Guan-Fu Wu. Paratype.-CIB WA9002, an adult male collected with the holotype. Diagnosis.-A small species of Oreolalax (SVL 47.5 mm), differing from its congeners in having a nearly smooth dorsum densely covered with round black spots. Tadpoles differ from all others known in black on having spots body 1. of Oreolalax nov. and tail. FIG. Holotype multipunctatus,sp. Snout-vent length 47.5 mm. Description (of both specimens).-Body stocky, as wide as head; head longer than broad; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting slightly be- regular dark markings; venter grayish; without yond the lower jaw; canthus rostralis obtuse; spots; throat marbled with dark gray. loreal region oblique and slightly concave; in- Males with two obliquely elongated patches terorbital space flat, broader than width of up- of black conical spines on chest (Fig. 2A); inner per eyelid; tympanum hidden; tongue free be- dorsal side of first two fingers (Fig. 2B) with hind and deeply notched; upper maxillary teeth large, black nuptial spines in three longitudinal strong; no vomerine teeth. rows, spines about twice the size of pectoral Forelimb slender; arm plus hand about half spines; edges of both jaws with small black of length of body; fingers slender, without fringes, spines; no vocal sacs. Measurements (in mm) order of length 3 > 4 > 2 > 1; subarticular holotype, paratype: snout-vent length 47.5,47.5; tubercles compressed; inner and outer meta- head length 18.0, 17.5; head width 17.0, 16.2; carpal tubercles rounded, almost equal. Hind- length of snout 8.6, 8.6; interorbital width 4.4, limb 1.6 times body length, heels overlap when 4.5; width of upper eyelid 3.8, 4.2; length of legs are flexed at right angles to the body, tibio- hindlimb 77.0, 77.0; length of tibia 22.7, 22.4; tarsal articulation reaching posterior border of length of foot and tarsus 24.8, 24.4. Field Museum of eye; toes (Fig. 2C) slender and long; first toe Tadpoles.-CIB WA9003, half webbed, one and one-half phalanges free; Natural History 248831-35. Collection of the second toe webbed to just beyond subarticular only unknown larval form of Oreolalaxfrom the tubercle on outer side, one and one-half pha- Mt. Emei region with the only unknown species of as- langes free; third toe webbed on outer side to of adult from the same area is the basis just beyond basal subarticular tubercle, leaving sociation of these larvae with multipunctatus. almost three phalanges free; fourth toe webbed Larvae differing from these distinctively marked with the to just beyond basal tubercle, four phalanges tadpoles have long been associated free; fifth toe webbed to basal tubercle, two and other four previously known species from Mt. one-half phalanges free; all toes with narrow Emei on the basis of complete developmental now re- fringes of skin; subarticular tubercles com- series. With five species of the genus the pressed; inner metatarsal tubercle elliptical and ported from this small geographic region, undiscovered slightly compressed; no outer metatarsal tuber- probability that an additional, with these cle. All digits with whitish, rounded tips. species of Oreolalaxwill be associated Skin nearly smooth; back and dorso-lateral larvae seems small. areas with small, weak, widely scattered warts; Headbody ovoidal, slightly flattened above; in- a thin, curved glandular fold from eye to in- snout broadly rounded; eyes dorsolateral; sertion of arm; ventral surfaces smooth; axilla terorbital more than twice diameter of eye; ex- and rear of thigh with a glandular light spot. ternal naris closer to tip of snout than to eye, Color in life dorsally yellowish brown with two or three small projections from dorsal part width narrower than many, evenly scattered black spots; a faint tri- of raised rim; internarial and angular spot between eyes; sides of body lighter interorbital. Spiracle wide, pointing upward than back and with black spots decreasing in backward, opening midway between eye and size ventrally; dorsal surface of limbs with ir- end of body. 412 G.-F. WU ET AL.

cular; fins low, neither as deep as caudal muscle until distal fourth. Color in life yellowish brown with many un- equal-sized black spots dorsally on body and on tail muscle and fins. Headbody lengths (in mm) in stage 25 16.3- 20.1, in stages 27-30 22.8-27.7, in stages 31-41 25.4-29.1; tail lengths (in same stage sequence) 24.3-33.0, 38.4-44.0, 32.8-57.7. Eggs.-Two egg masses, CIB WA9004, were found attached to the underside of a submerged rock accompanied by one of the males. Clutch size is 81 and 85. The eggs are creamy white and average about 3.5 mm in diameter. Comparisons.-The new species occurs in the same area of Sichuan Province with 0. schmidti I I (Liu), O. major(Liu and Hu), 0. omeimontis(Liu and Hu), and 0. popei (Liu). Males of 0. multi- punctatusdiffer from those of the first three species in having large but relatively few pectoral spines (ca. 100 per cluster). Pectoral spines in schmidti,omeimontis, and majorare small and numerous (>200 per cluster); in the first two, pectoral spines are an order of magnitude smaller than those in the nuptial pad, the difference between the two sets being much greater than in multipunctatus.Males of 0. multipunctatusare similar in size to those of schmidtiand omeimontis, but, in addition to the pectoral spines, differ from the last two in having distinct webbing at the base of the toes (Fig. 2C). Oreolalax multi- punctatusresembles majorand popei in the spot- ting, but is much smaller (SVL of males of major 59-71 mm, of popei 60-70 mm), and lacks the dorsal tubercles found in those species (Liu and B . C Hu, 1960). Oreolalaxmajor has much smaller and more nuptial spines (ca. >200) on the first two fingers than multipunctatus,as well more and smaller pectoral spines. Other species from Si- FIG. 2. Ventral surface of Oreolalax (A) multipunc- chuan similar to multipunctatusin size of adult tatus. Bar equals 10 mm. (B) Dorsal view of lower arm males include Fei and and hand. Ventral view of foot. Bar between B xiangchengensis Huang, (C) lichuanensisHu and and C equals 5 mm. rugosus(Liu), Fei, pingi (Liu), and chuanbeiensisTian (1983). None of these have larvae with black spotted bodies like those of Adults of the first two are not Oral disc ventral subterminal; lips completely multipunctatus. and have warts or fringed with short, thick papillae, papillae with spotted strong spines dorsally Liu et Fei and melanophores on bases or extending to tips; (Liu, 1950; al., 1979; Huang, 1983). Unlike lichuanensishas a visible median gap in papillae of upper lip about twice multipunctatus, and tubercles on the back width of papillae flanking gap; usually two rows tympanum large (Liu et Oreolalax and chuanbeiensis of compressed inframarginal papillae on lower al., 1979). rugosus also have warts on the back and lip beginning near ends of first two divided conspicuous further differ from in a rows of labial teeth; most of inframarginals multipunctatus having of more than 100 small bearing small labial teeth. Labial teeth (system nuptial pad consisting Oreolalax has a like that of Altig, 1970) in stage 25 (Gosner, 1960) 6(2- spines. pingi nuptial pad of adults of all these 6)/6(1-5), in stages 27-30 7(2-7)/6(1-5) or rarely rugosus.Differences among are summarized in the 7(2-7)/7(1-6), in stages 31-41 7(2-7)/7(1-6). Jaw species following key. ser- sheaths heavy, fully pigmented, coarsely 1A. Dorsum with round black spots ...... 2 rated, upper with a median convexity. Tail lan- B. Dorsum without black spots ...... 9 ceolate, tapering to a rounded tip; heavily mus- 2A. Toes one-third to one-half webbed ...... 3 NEW PELOBATID FROG 413

B. Toes without webbing or webbed only at dation, the National Geographic Society, and base ...... 6 the Marshall Field III Fund of Field Museum of 3A. with more than 100 in a Nuptial pad spines Natural History. cluster on the first finger ...... 4 B. Nuptial pad with less than 20 large spines LITERATURECITED arranged in distinct rows ..... multipunctatus ALTIG,R. 1970. A to the of the conti- 4A. No tympanum or columella auris; hind limb key tadpoles nental United States and Canada. without regular crossbars ...... Herpetologica rugosus 26:180-207. B. Tympanum present, though usually hidden; FEI, L., AND Y.-Z. HUANG. 1983. A new of hind limb with regular crossbars ...... 5 species 5A. Hind limb with 4-6 fine, narrow dark cross- pelobatid toad from western Sichuan. Acta Her- bars ...... chuanbeiensis petologica Sinica 2:71-75. [Chinese text] ,AND C.-Y. YE. 1984. studies of the B. Hind limb with 3-5 wide, dark crossbars major Ecological toad, Oreolalax Acta Zool. 6A. Back relatively smooth, at most a few weak pelobatid puxiongensis. Sinica 30:270-277. [Chinese warts ...... pingi text] GOSNER,K. L. 1960. A table for B. Back with many large tubercles and warts 7 simplified staging 7A. Dorsal skin in males flaccid and thrown into anuran embryos and larvae with notes on iden- tification. 16:183-190. folds; strong black spines on rear of upper Herpetologica arm ...... lichuanensis INGER,R. F., E.-M. ZHAO,H. B. SHAFFER,AND G.-F. WU. 1990. on a collection of B. Dorsal skin of males not as above; no black Report amphibians and from Sichuan, China. Fieldiana: Zool. 58: spines on rear of arm ...... 8 reptiles upper 1-24. 8A. Nuptial pad of male with fewer than 20 LIu, C.-C. 1950. of western China. spines on first finger ...... Amphibians popei Fieldiana: Zool. Mem. 2:1-400. B. Nuptial pad with more than 100 spines on ,AND S.-C. HU. 1960. New from Chi- first finger ...... omeimontis Scutigers 9A. 'oes almost webbed ...... na with a discussion about the genus. Scientia Sin- completely ica 9:760-780...... xianchengensis B. Toes at most half webbed ...... 10 , AND . 1961. Tailless amphibians of China. Science Press, text] 10A. Tympanum distinct ...... rhodostigmata Beijing. [Chinese ANDL. FEI. 1979. Five new B. Tympanum hidden ...... schmidti , pelobatid toads from China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 4:83- Descriptions and a key to tadpoles of these spe- 92. [Chinese text] cies will appear in a subsequent paper. TIAN, W.-S. 1983. A new species of Oreolalax-O. chuanbeiensis.Acta Herpetologica Sinica 2:59-62. Acknowledgments.-We express our thanks to [Chinese text] the people of the village of Bin Ling for much ZHAO, E.-M., AND B.-N. SHI. 1982. Sichuan Fauna help and many kindnesses and to Tan An-Ming, Economica. Vol. 1. [Chinese text] Chengdu Institute of Biology, who participated energetically in the field work. This project re- Accepted: 19 July 1993. ceived support from the National Science Foun-