Citation

Yang, Jian-Huan; Huang, Xiang-Yuan (2019). A New Species of Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) from the Gaoligongshan Mountain Range, China. Copeia, 107(1): 10.

Abstract

During recent surveys in Gaoligongshan Mountain Range, Yunnan Province of China, we collected specimens of Scutiger from a montane stream area at an elevation of 3000 m. Subsequent study based on morphological, molecular, and acoustic data reveals that the newly collected specimens represent an unknown taxon and is described herein: Scutiger tengchongensis, new species. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) relatively small size (adult male SVL 36.0–40.1 mm, n = 8); (2) vomerine teeth absent; (3) dorsum with large prominent, conical-shaped and longitudinal tubercles; (4) large tubercles on dorsum covered by numerous tiny black spines in males in breeding condition; (5) a pair of pectoral glands and a pair of axillary glands present on the chest, and covered by dense tiny black spines in males in breeding condition; (6) pectoral gland about twice the size of axillary gland; (7) inner three fingers with black nuptial spines in males in breeding condition; (8) nuptial spines on first and second fingers larger than those on third finger; (9) black spines on the belly absent; (10) vocal sac absent; and (11) toe webbing rudimentary. The discovery of S. tengchongensis, new species, represents the southernmost record of the genus worldwide, and the new species is the smallest known member of the genus in body size.

Taxa