Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 317-324 (2021) (published online on 09 February 2021) New records of frogs from Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam Dzung Trung Le1,*, Linh Phuong Nguyen2, Cuong The Pham3, Truong Quang Nguyen3,4, Tien Quang Phan3, Phuong Huy Dang3, and Thomas Ziegler5 Abstract. We report four new records of frogs from Quang Nam Province, including two microhylid (Microhyla mukhlesuri, Micryletta inornata) and two rhacophorid species (Gracixalus ananjevae, Rhacophorus orlovi). In addition, we provide an updated list of 49 frog species from Quang Nam Province. The anuran fauna in this province contains a number of species of conservation concern, including three species listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book, five species listed in theIUCN Red List, and ten species endemic to Vietnam. Keywords. Frogs, distribution, new records, Quang Nam Province Introduction examination revealed four frog species that had not yet been recorded for Quang Nam Province. We herein Recent herpetological studies have underscored provide an updated list of 49 species of frogs with two the special role of geographic location in promoting new records of Microhylidae and two new records of speciation of frogs in central Vietnam. Many new Rhacophoridae from this province. species and new country records have recently been discovered in this region, including Gracixalus lumarius, G. trieng, Leptobrachella applebyi, L. firthi, Materials and Methods L. rowleyae, Limnonectes kiziriani, and Philautus A 21-day field survey was carried out by C.T. Pham, quyeti (Nguyen et al., 2008; Rowley and Cao, 2009; T.Q. Phan, and T.Q. Nguyen (hereafter Pham et al.) from Rowley et al., 2012, 2014, 2020; Nguyen et al., 2018; 20 February–11 March 2020 at three sites in Quang Pham et al., 2018). Nam Elephant HSCA (Fig. 1). Survey transects were In terms of herpetofaunal diversity, Johnson (1970) set up along streams, ponds, and forest paths. The main recorded 12 frog species in Quang Nam Province and habitat type was secondary forest of medium and small Nguyen (in Tordoff et al., 2000) recorded 25 species of hardwoods, mixed with shrubs and vines, at elevations frogs in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve. During our recent between 30 and 405 m. After photographing captured field survey in central Vietnam, a new collection of frogs in life, they were euthanized in a closed vessel frogs was made in Quang Nam Elephant Habitat and with a piece of cotton wool soaked in ethyl acetate Species Conservation Area (HSCA). Morphological (Simmons, 2002), fixed in 80% ethanol for 4–6 h and subsequently transferred into 70% ethanol for permanent storage. The preserved specimens have been deposited in the collection of the Institute of Ecology and Biological 1 Ministry of Education and Training, 35 Dai Co Vet Road, Hanoi, Vietmam. Resources (IEBR), Hanoi, Vietnam. 2 Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Road, Morphological identification generally followed Hanoi, Vietnam. Taylor (1962), Wang et al. (1989), Ziegler and Köhler 3 Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam (2001), Matsui and Orlov (2004), Ostroshabov et Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet al. (2013), Hasan et al., (2014), and Pham et al. Road, Hanoi, Vietnam. (2017a,b). Measurements were taken with a digital 4 Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam callipers (Wabeco, Germany) to the nearest 0.1 mm. Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam. Abbreviations include snout–vent length (SVL); eye 5 Zoologischer Garten Köln, Riehler Straße 173, 50735 Köln, length (EL), from anterior to posterior corner of eye; Germany; and Institut für Zoologie, Universität zu Köln, distance from anterior corner of eye to posterior edge Zülpicher Straße 47b, 50674 Köln, Germany. of nostril (EN); head length (HL), from posterior corner * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] of mandible to tip of snout; maximum head width at © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. the angle of jaws (HW); internarial distance (IND); 318 Dzung Trung Le et al. Figure 1. Map of the sampling site in Quang Nam Elephant Habitat and Species Conservation Area (1), Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam. interorbital distance (IOD); distance from anterior edge Specimens examined.—One adult male (IEBR 4823; of nostril to tip of snout (NS); distance from anterior field number QN.2020.107) and one adult female (IEBR corner of eye to tip of snout (SN); maximum tympanum 4824; field number QN.2020.108), collected by Pham diameter (TYD); upper eyelid width (UEW); forearm et al. on 27 February 2020 near Binh Yen Village in length (FAL), from elbow to base of outer palmar Quang Nam Elephant HSCA (15.5744°N, 107.9330°E, tubercle; hand length (HAL), from base of outer palmar elevation 105 m). tubercle to tip of third finger; femur length (FL), from Description.—Morphological characters of the vent to knee; and shank length (SL). For the webbing specimens from Quang Nam agreed with the descriptions formula, we followed Glaw and Vences (2007). Sex by Hasan et al. (2014) and Pham et al. (2017a; previously was determined by the presence of internal vocal sac identified as M. fissipes): size small (SVL 17.8 mm in openings or by gonadal inspection. the male and 24.1 mm in the female); head flattened, triangular, slightly longer than wide (HL/HW 1.02 in the Results male, 1.17 in the female); snout pointed; canthus rostralis round, indistinct; nostril nearer to tip of snout than to In the following accounts, species names are followed eye (SN/EN 0.52 in the male and 0.72 in the female); by taxonomic authority and year, as well as common tympanum hidden; vomerine teeth absent; vocal sac names in English. openings slit-like, paired. Forelimbs relatively long (FAL/SVL 0.20 in the male, FAMILY MICROHYLIDAE 0.19 in the female), fingers long and slender (HAL/SVL Microhyla mukhlesuri Hasan et al., 2014 0.43 in the male and 0.42 in the female), tips not swollen; Mukhlesur’s Narrow-mouthed Frog (Fig. 2A) without webbing and lateral fringes, relative length of New Records of Frogs from Quang Nam Province, Vietnam 319 Figure 2. Dorsolateral views of (A) Microhyla mukhlesuri (IEBR 4823, adult male), (B) Micryletta inornata (IEBR 4825, adult male), (C) Gracixalus ananjevae (IEBR 4826, adult male), and (D) Rhacophorus orlovi (IEBR 4828, adult male) from Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Photos by C.T. Pham. fingers I < II < IV < III, fingers slender, subarticular Ecological notes.—Frogs were found between 20:00 tubercles absent, inner metacarpal tubercle large and and 21:00 h, on the ground near a small stream. The round. surrounding habitat was mixed secondary forest Hindlimbs relatively long and stout, shank length consisting of small hardwoods, bamboo, and shrubs. about two-thirds of SVL (SL/SVL 0.59), femur length Air temperature was 25–32°C and relative humidity significantly less than shank length (FL/SL 0.86); toe was 60–70%. tips round, not swollen; rudimentary webbing present Distribution.—In Vietnam, this species has been between all five toes; lateral fringes narrow, present on all recorded west of the Red River (Yuan et al., 2016; Frost, toes; relative toe lengths I < II < V < III < IV; tibiotarsal 2020). This species has also been reported from China, articulation reaching the eye. Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Singapore (Hasan Skin smooth with dense, dark X-shaped mark on et al., 2014; Frost, 2020). the dorsum, starting at the eyes, narrowing on the Remarks.—Yuan et al. (2016) documented that M. front of the forelimbs, slightly expanding between the mukhlesuri includes all populations formerly assigned to shoulders; oblique bars present on thigh, tibia, and in the M. fissipes west of the Red River. tarsal region. An inverse U-shaped black mark above the cloaca, many irregular, speckled dots below both Micryletta inornata (Boulenger, 1890) sides of the cloaca. Deli Paddy Frog (Fig. 2B) Coloration in life.—Dorsal surface light brown with dark spots and white streaks; black band starting from the Specimen examined.—One adult male (IEBR 4825, tip of the snout to the posterior corner of the eyes; ventral field number QN.2020.117), collected by Pham et al. surface slightly whitish with few very small speckles. on 29 February 2020 near Binh Yen Village in Quang 320 Dzung Trung Le et al. Nam Elephant HSCA (15.5887°N, 107.9015°E, Provinces and southwards to Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Tay Ninh, elevation 99 m). and Dong Nai Provinces, as well as Ho Chi Minh City Description.—Morphological characters of the (Nguyen et al., 2009). Elsewhere, this species has been specimens from Quang Nam agreed with the descriptions reported from Indonesia, Myanmar, The Philippines, in Taylor (1962), Wang et al. (1989), and Alhadi et al. Thailand, India, Taiwan, and China (Frost, 2020). (2019): size small (SVL 22.1 mm). Head wider than long Remarks.—Micryletta inornata was originally (HW/HL 1.14); snout obtuse; canthus rostralis round; described from Sumatra Island in Indonesia. This nostril large, round, moderately protuberant, closer to tip species was subsequently more widely reported across of snout than to eye (SN/EN 0.47); interorbital distance Sundaland, Indochina, India, and China (Frost, 2020). about 2.2 times width of upper eyelid (IOD/UEW 2.2), Alhadi et al. (2019) showed that this species comprises much wider than internarial distance (IOD/IND 1.58); several different lineages, which represent either tympanum diameter (TYD 0.8 mm) shorter than eye unnamed species or previously named populations length (ED 2 mm); vomerine teeth absent; vocal slits whose names are currently in synonymy and require near jaw angle; single, subgular vocal sac. taxonomic validation in the future. Forelimbs relatively long (FAL/SVL 0.26), fingers long and slender (HAL/SVL 0.55), tips of fingers blunt, FAMILY RHACOPHORIDAE without webbing or lateral fringes, relative length of fingers I < II < IV < III; subarticular tubercles prominent; Gracixalus ananjevae (Matsui & Orlov, 2004) nuptial pads absent; subarticular tubercles well Annam Flying Treefrog (Fig.