Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 325-329 (2021) (published online on 09 February 2021) New data concerning Hyla orientalis Bedriaga, 1890 (Anura: Hylidae) in Southern Armenia Ilona Stepanyan1,*, Meri Arzumanyan2, and Mark Kalashian1 The tree frog Hyla orientalis Bedriaga, 1890 (formerly carried out in during spring and early summer. Habitats known as Hyla arborea schelkownikowi Chernov, 1926 potentially suitable for tree frogs between the altitudes (Gumilevsky, 1939; Bannikov et al., 1977; Kuzmin, of 1,100-1,700 m a.s.l. were surveyed. These habitats 1999; 2012; Egiazaryan, 2007; Pipoyan et al., 2012) included mountain forest landscapes, already known is widely distributed in northern (Lori and Tavush from Pipoyan et al. (2012) as suitable for H. orientalis, provinces) and central (Kotayk Province, Basin of and adjacent relatively drier areas similar to where the Marmarik River) Armenia (Fig. 1A). Hyla orientalis species occurs in nearby Georgia (Djanašhvili, 1956; usually inhabits open, well-illuminated broad-leaved Tarkhnišhvili and Gokhellashvili, 1999) and central and mixed forests, bush and shrub lands, meadows, Armenia (Arakelyan et al., 2011; Stepanyan, 2014). gardens, and lake shores with low riparian vegetation Encountered specimens were distinguished from Hyla in mountain-forest landscape, at elevations ranging savigny Audouin, 1827, which also occurs in Southern between 880-1,850 m above sea level (a.s.l.). Typically, Armenia, by presence of the inguinal loop in their this species occupies humid areas (Egiazaryan, 2007; lateral band (Chernov, 1926; Bannikov et al, 1977; Arakelyan et al., 2011; Stepanyan, 2014) except of the Arakelyan et al, 2011). All collected H. orientalis rather dry habitats occupied in the gorge of the Marmarik were photographed, morphometric data were collected River, where it was re-introduced in last century. Here, following Bannikov et al. (1977) and Lada and Sokolov H. orientalis occurs at the border of mountain forest and (1999), and, afterwards, released back to their habitats. dry mountain steppe. Dorsal colouration and patterns of the specimens were Until now, only a single record of H. orientalis in characterised according to Gvoždik and Moravec (2003). South Armenia was known, located in Syunik Province, The following seventeen morphometric characters were near Vanek village, in forested landscape (Pipoyan et measured: L – body length; L.c. – head length; L.tc. - al., 2012) (Fig. 1A). No population surveys or further head width; D.r.o. – distance from the tip of the snout investigations into presence of H. orientalis in Syunik to the front edge of the eye; D.r.n. – distance from the Province have been performed. Here, we present data tip of the snout to the nostril; L.o. – maximum length on newly discovered populations of H. orientalis at of palpebral fissure; Lt.p. – the greatest width of the several localities in Syunik Province, including notes eyelids; Sp.p. – the distance between the inner edges of on their ecology, collected during field surveys in the eyelids; Sp.o – the distance between the front edges 2014-2018. A comparative morphometric analysis of the eyelids; Sp.n – the distance between nostrils; is provided as well to compare individuals from the L.tym – width of tympanic membrane; F- femur length; newly discovered populations with those from Northern T – tibia length; C.s – foot length: the distance between Armenia (Arzumanyan et al., 2017). Field work was the posterior margin of the metatarsal tubercle and the tip; D.p – length of the first toe of the hind limb, C.i – length of the inner calcaneal tubercle; M – body weight. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using 1 Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of the STATISTICA 10. National Academy of Science of Republic of Armenia, Overall, six adults of H. orientalis (5 males and 1 P.Sevak str. 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia. female) were collected from four localities in Syunik 2 Yerevan State University, A. Manoogian str 1, 0025, Yerevan, Province (Fig. 1C). Presence of H. orientalis near Vanek Armenia. village was confirmed, and in three other localities * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] the species was registered for the first time. All four © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. localities are briefly characterised below. 326 Ilona Stepanyan et al. Figure 1. (A) Distribution map of Hyla orientalis in Armenia (circles: according to Arakelyan et al., [2011]; square: according to Pipoyan et al., [2012]); (B) Map of localities of H. orientalis from northern, central and south Armenia mentioned in this study: 1: Debed; 2: Marmarik; 3–6: localities in Syunik Province (Arzumanyan et al., 2017; our data). (C) populations of H. orientalis (circles) and H. savignyi (stars) in Syunik Province (Stepanyan, 2014; our data) in the vicinity of Svarants (3), Nor Arachadzor (4), Vanek (5) and Kavart (6). (D) H. orientalis from Kavart, Synik Province. A single adult female of H. orientalis was found near Corylus avellana trunk. Vanek village (39.279°N, 46.342°E; 1,126 m a.s.l.) in Three adult males were found in the vicinity of mixed forest (aedificators: Quercus iberica and Carpinus Svarants village (39.3719°N, 46.240°E; 1,520 m a.s.l.) betulus, interspersed with trees of Pyrus sp., Prunus sp., in a small shallow pond situated at the border of broad- Pinus sp., Corylus avellane, and Juglans regia), along leaved forest (aedificators: Quercus iberica, Carpinus the shore of the Achanan River, as previously described betulus, Fraxinus excelsior interspersed with trees of by Pipoyan et al. (2012). The female was caught on a Salix sp.). New data concerning Hyla orientalis in Southern Armenia 327 A single male of the species was detected near Nor H. orientalis was found at a distance of about 200 m Arachadzor village in mountain-forest landscape along from the forest border, in woodland on the border of the shore of the artificial storage reservoir David-Bek forest and steppe close to a small temporary pond. (39.341°N, 46.403°E; 1,370 m a.s.l.). The area is According to previous studies, H. orientalis, being covered with forest (aedificator - Carpinus betulus mainly a mesophilic species, prefers humid mountain interspersed with Quercus iberica, Q. macranthera, forest landscapes in all Transcaucasian countries - Acer laetum, A. campestre, Fraxinus excelsior). Armenia (Arakelyan et al., 2011; Pipoyan et al., 2012; One male of H. orientalis was observed near Kavart Stepanyan, 2014), Georgia (southern suburbs of Tbilisi village (39.253°N, 46.388°E; 1,170 m. a.s.l.) (Fig. 1D). and in the Tsivi-Gombori range) (Djanašhvili, 1956; The landscape of this area is characterised by forest, with Tarkhnišhvili and Gokhellashvili, 1999), Azerbaijan Quercus iberica and Carpinus betulus as aedificators, (Alekperov, 1978; Litvinchuk et al., 2006) and, also, interspersed with Corylus avellana, Pyrus sp., Prunus wet, subtropical ecosystems in northern Iran (Gvoždík, sp., and Fraxinus excelsior. However, the specimen of 2010). In addition to these conditions, H. orientalis Table 1. Morphometric data of Hyla orientalis from four localities in the Syunik Province in Armenia, compared with published data on individuals Tablefrom 1.northern Morphometric and central data of Hyla Armenia orientalis (Fig. from 1B: four 1-2; localities Arzumanyan in the Syunik et al.,Province 2017). in Armenia,X: Mean, compared SE: Standard Error, Min: with published data on individuals from northern and central Armenia (Fig. 1B: 1-2; Arzumanyan et al., 2017). minimum value of Xparameter,: Mean, SE: Max:Standard maximum Error, Min: value minimum of parameter. value of parameter, For other Max: abbreviations, maximum value ofplease parameter. refer For to otherthe main text. abbreviations, please refer to the main text. H. orientalis, H. orientalis, H. orientalis, Syunik population, Debed population, Marmarik population, southern Armenia northern Armenia central Armenia Parameters female males males females males females (N = 1) (N = 5) (N = 81) (N = 2) (N = 44) (N = 5) X ± SE X ± SE X X ± SE X ± SE Min – Max Min – Max Min – Max Min – Max 39.0 ± 1.82 40.45 ± 0.39 46.95 41.03 ± 0.47 45.5 ± 1.38 L 47.9 34.75 – 46.08 34.0 – 47.0 34.9 – 45.7 39.13 – 49.8 12.5 ± 1.93 12.82 ± 0.22 14.5 12.75 ± 0.18 13.19 ± 0.78 L.c. 15.7 10.9 – 13.89 10.0 – 16.2 11.1 – 14.9 10.2 – 15.3 11.7 ± 1.77 12.37 ± 0.2 15.22 ± 0.23 16.44 ± 0.57 Lt.c. 17.6 16.55 8.94 – 14.85 9.0 – 15.0 11.7 – 17.9 14.05 – 18.6 6.1 ± 1.91 5.79 ± 0.14 7.6 6.53 ± 0.80 5.85 ± 0.85 D.r.o 7.7 3.12 – 8.4 4.00 – 9.00 5.1 – 7.7 2.63 – 7.9 2.28 ± 1.72 2.43 ± 0.03 4.05 3.62 ± 0.1 4.64 ± 0.45 D.r.n 4.1 2.3 – 2.51 2.00 – 2.90 2.2 – 4.9 3.7 – 6.7 4.3 ± 1.74 4.59 ± 0.10 4.55 4.42 ± 0.1 4.75 ± 0.36 L.o 4.9 3.4 – 5.10 3.50 – 5.80 3.20 – 5.60 3.63 – 6.6 2.7 ± 1.85 2.85 ± 0.06 5.35 5.18 ± 0.13 5.85 ± 0.35 Lt.p 5.1 1.62 – 3.2 1.50 – 3.40 4.10 – 6.80 5.1 – 7.6 3.2 ± 1.78 3.11 ± 0.12 4.85 5.26 ± 0.11 4.57 ± 0.36 Sp.p 4.1 2.14 – 4.22 2.00 – 4.30 4.10 – 6.60 3.08 – 5.9 7.5 ± 1.85 7.54 ± 0.12 8.0 7.96 ± 0.13 7.67 ± 0.92 Sp.o 8.3 6.01 – 8.99 6.00 – 9.00 6.40 – 9.60 4.15 – 9.9 3.1 ± 1.72 3.13 ± 0.05 3.15 3.72 ± 0.08 4.3 ± 0.32 Sp.n 4.6 2.49 – 3.68 2.50 – 3.70 3.10 – 4.70 3.1 – 5.1 3.1 ± 1.53 3.13 ± 0.12 3.8 3.31 ± 0.11 3.46 ± 0.46 L.tym 3.1 2.32 – 4.10 2.00 – 4.50 2.10 – 3.90 1.8 – 5.1 21.2 ± 1.81 20.55 ± 0.27 23.9 21.10 ± 0.26 22.87 ± 0.66 F 23.3 17.8 – 23.9 15.0 – 23.2 18.10 – 24.4 21.1 – 25.5 22.1 ± 1.59 19.73 ± 0.23 22.75 20.42 ± 0.22 21.71 ± 0.6 T 22.8 17.85 – 23.01 15.7 – 22.00 18.2 – 23.50 19.53 – 24.4 11.5 ± 1.92 10.19 ± 0.16 8.9 10.38 ± 0.18 11.81 ± 0.18 C.s 11.1 7.98 – 12.1 8.50 – 12.40 8.10 – 11.90 11.3 – 12.5 3.8 ± 1.71 4.20 ± 0.10 5.4 4.97 ± 0.12 4.92 ± 0.15 D.p 6.3 3.4 – 5.9 3.00 – 5.80 3.2 – 6.5 4.3 – 5.3 2.01 ± 1.76 2.62 ± 0.07 2.15 2.42 ± 0.08 2.49 ± 0.27 C.i 2.3 1.45 –3.62 1.60 – 3.40 1.40 – 3.50 2.1 – 4.1 5.0 ± 1.89 4.94 ± 0.13 8.15 5.60 ± 0.21 8.28 ± 0.89 M 10.1 4.01 – 7.98 3.50 – 6.80 3.50 – 8.10 5.4 – 10.9 1 328 Ilona Stepanyan et al.