Kalophrynus cryptophonus Vassilieva, Galoyan, Gogoleva, and Poyarkov, 2014

Zug, George R., 2015, Morphology and Systematics of Kalophrynus interlineatus-pleurostigma Populations (Anura: Microhylidae: Kalophryninae) and a Taxonomy of the Genus Kalophrynus Tschudi, Asian Sticky Frogs, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (5), pp. 135-190 : 157-158

Kalophrynus cryptophonus Vassilieva, Galoyan, Gogoleva, and Poyarkov, 2014

Lam Dong Bamboo Sticky Frog

Kalophrynus cryptophonus Vassilieva, Galoyan, Gogoleva, and Poyarkov, 2014, Zootaxa 3769(3):410 [type locality: “Loc Bao, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam (coordinates 11°44´17˝N, 107°42´25˝E, elevation 800 m a.s.l.)”] .

TYPE MATERIAL.— HOLOTYPE: Zoological Museum of the Lomonosov Moscow University ( ZMMU) A-4944. PARATYPES: ZMMU A-4858–59. Original designations .

DEFINITION.— Small, adult female 23.4 mm SVL (n = 1), adult males 27.9– 30. 4 mm SVL (n = 5); head moderately long 28–32 % HeadL/ SVL; head wider than long 105–122 % HeadW/HeadL; naris closer to snout than to eye 59–68 % NarEye/SnEye; eye moderately large 35–42 % EyeD/HeadL; tympanum visible and smaller than eye 55–77 % Tymp/EyeD; slender moderately long forelimb NA % Forarm/ SVL and forearm to crus length NA % Forarm/CrusL; hindlimb slender and moderate length 129–140 % HndlL/ SVL, 40–43 % CrusL/ SVL, and 89–98 % CrusL/ThghL; hindfoot well developed 77–96 % HndfL/CrusL.

Vomerine teeth absence; three palatal folds, vomerine one continuous, postorbital short and low, buccal continuous and crenulated; tongue rounded free end. Skin on margin of mandible with longitudinal series of short triangular spines in males.

Fingers rudimentary webbing; lengths 3>2>4>1; tips rounded and not dilated; subarticular subarticular tubercles distinct, round, and one on digits 1, 2, 4, and two on 3; one large oval palmar tubercle on outer half of palm, bordered distally by four small, round tubercles; smooth nuptial excrescences on base of fingers 2 and 3; fine-spined asperities dorsally covering fingers 2, 3, and 4 from base to end of penultimate phalanx. Toes modestly webbed not extending beyond proximal subarticular tubercles of toe 4, lengths 4>3>5>2>1; tips rounded, not dilated; subarticular tubercles moderate, oval and one on digits 1, 2, two on 3, three on 4, two on 5 (only distal one prominent); moderate oval inner and small, round outer metatarsal tubercles.

In life, dorsum ranging from dark brown at night to diurnal pinkish beige with faint darker reticulation from between eyes to end of trunk and reverse Y-mark with base on crown and nape and arms extending to rear of trunk; body; narrow, orangish dorsolateral stripe from tip of snout and edge of canthus rostralis above eye running diagonally to mid inguina, bordered below by dark brown that fades ventrolaterally; small round, black inguinal spot, not light edged; venter pale yellowish-pink, chin to mid chest with dark marking, belly largely immaculate.

ETYMOLOGY.— Because this species was only discovered by the males’ vocalization from hollow bamboo stems, the authors highlight this behavior with Greek cryptos for hidden or mystery and phonus, voice, thus hidden voice.

DISTRIBUTION.— Vietnam. Kalophrynus cryptophonus is known only from the vicinity of the type locality .

NATURAL HISTORY.— This sticky frog lives in a mid-montane evergreen tropical forest (secondary) with abundant bamboo clumps. It was discovered in mid April by the males’ vocalization from inside cut bamboo stems. The water inside the bamboo stems serve as egg-deposition and larval development sites (phytotelm breeding).

COMMENTS.— Preceding information extracted from the original description by Vassilieva and colleagues (2014).