Nanorana xuelinensis, Liu & Zhang & Rao, 2021

Liu, Shuo, Zhang, Peisong & Rao, Dingqi, 2021, A new species of Nanorana Guenther, 1896 (Anura, Dicroglossidae) from Yunnan, China, ZooKeys 1048, pp. 49-67 : 49

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov.

Figures 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6

Holotype.

KIZL2019016, adult male, collected on 13 July 2019 by Shuo Liu from Xuelin Township, Lancang County, Puer City, Yunnan Province, China (23°2'38"N, 99°32'35"E; at an elevation of 1840 m asl).

Paratypes.

KIZL2019012 and KIZL2019015, two subadult males; KIZL2019013 and KIZL2019014, two subadult females; and KIZL2019017, adult female. All with same collection information as for the holotype.

Diagnosis.

Large body size, SVL 101.7-107.3 mm in adults; adult males with keratinized spines on chest, belly, lateral body, posterior dorsum, buttocks, outer side of the fore limbs, the inner metacarpal tubercle, fingers I and II, and upper eyelids; no spines on the inner side of the lower and upper arm; forelimbs strongly hypertrophied in adult males; tympanum big but indistinct, ca 2/3 of eye diameter; anterior dorsum skin smooth; dorsolateral folds absent; finger I longer than finger II; webbing deeply incurved between tips of toes; no tarsal fold; present outer metacarpal tubercle and absent outer metatarsal tubercle; vomerine teeth distinct.

The living specimens were yellowish brown with distinct or indistinct black spots on the dorsum and sides of the body and the dorsal side of limbs; no band on arms and legs. Ventral surface white with no spots, throat yellow in adult males.

Description of holotype.

Adult male, habitus very stout, SVL 107.3 mm, large size in genus Nanorana ; head flat and broader than long (HL/HW 0.85, HH/HL 0.53); snout blunt and rounded in both dorsal and lateral views; canthus rostralis obtuse; tympanum large and very indistinct (TDH/EHD 0.76); supratympanic fold extending from eye over tympanum to shoulder; transversal fold behind eyes; eye relatively large (EHD/HL 0.26), pupil slightly rhombic; vomerine teeth distinct; tongue large and cordiform, deeply notched posteriorly.

Forelimbs short and strongly hypertrophied (LAD 18.8 mm); relative finger length: II <I <IV <III; inner metacarpal tubercle enlarged, dorsal surface of inner metacarpal tubercle, fingers I, and finger II with black keratinized nuptial spines, no spine on inner side of fore limbs, and a few spines on outer side of fore limbs; finger tips rounded but not dilated, fingers free, without webbing, no circum-marginal groove or lateroventral groove; subarticular tubercles distinct, outer metacarpal tubercle indistinct.

Hindlimbs rather long and stout; relative toe length: I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes rounded but not dilated; subarticular tubercles oval and distinct, formula is 1, 1, 2, 3, 2; inner metatarsal tubercles elongated and pronounced; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; webbing deeply incurved between tips of toes, formula I 0-0- II 0-0- III 0--0- IV 0--0 V; lateral fringe on the outer side of toe V developed; no circum-marginal groove or lateroventral groove; tarsal fold absent.

Anterior dorsum skin smooth; keratinized spines present on chest, belly, lateral body, posterior dorsum, buttocks, and upper eyelids; spines most dense on axilla and each side of chest.

Coloration of holotype in life.

The coloration of dorsum is yellowish brown with very indistinct black spots in dorsum, and no band on arms and legs. Ventral surface white with no spots. The throat is yellow. The pupil is black, and the iris is light yellow with many black radial strips around the pupil.

Sexual dimorphism.

The forelimbs of adult males are strongly hypertrophied; in addition, adult males have keratinized spines on chest, belly, lateral body, posterior dorsum, buttocks, outer side of the fore limbs, the inner metacarpal tubercle, fingers I and II, and upper eyelids. The forelimbs of adult females are not hypertrophied, and adult females have distinct black spots on the dorsum, lateral body, and the dorsal side of limbs, no keratinized spines on chest, belly, lateral body, posterior dorsum, buttocks, and upper eyelids, and only some keratinized spines on finger I and a few small spines on finger II.

Etymology.

The name refers to Xuelin Township, the locality where the new species was found. We propose "Xuelin Paa Frog" or "Xuelin Spiny Frog" for the common English name and “雪林棘蛙” ( Xuě Lín Jí Wā) for the common Chinese name of the new species.

Distribution.

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. is recorded in Lancang County ( Pu’er City), Shuangjiang County (Lincang City), and Jinghong City (Xishuangbanna Prefecture), Yunnan Province, China.

Habitat.

The type series was found in a still-water pond. At the type locality we found three other species of amphibians: Chirixalus cf. doriae Boulenger, 1893; Raorchestes hillisi Jiang Ren, Guo, Wang & Li, 2020; Tylototriton verrucosus Anderson, 1871a; and three species of reptiles: Calotes emma Gray, 1845; Pareas xuelinensis Liu & Rao, 2021; and Pseudocalotes microlepis (Boulenger, 1887).

Comparisons.

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. aenea , N. annandalii (Boulenger, 1920), N. gammii (Anderson, 1871b), N. liebigii ( Günther, 1860), N. polunini (Smith, 1951), N. rarica (Dubois, Matsui & Ohler, 2001), N. rostandi (Dubois, 1974), and N. unculuanus by the absence of dorsolateral fold (vs presence).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. arnoldi (Dubois, 1975), N. maculosa (Liu, Hu & Yang, 1960), N. yunnanensis , and N. zhaoermii Qi, Zhou, Lu & Li, 2019 by the spines present only on finger I and finger II in adult males (vs present on finger I-III).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. arunachalensis (Saikia, Sinha & Kharkongor, 2017), N. blanfordii (Boulenger, 1882), N. chayuensis (Ye, 1977), N. conaensis (Fei & Huang, 1981), N. minica (Dubois, 1975), and N. mokokchungensis (Das & Chanda, 2000) by its larger body size.

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. feae (Boulenger, 1887) by the absence of spines on the inner side of the fore limbs in adult males (vs. presence).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. kangxianensis (Yang, Wang, Hu & Jiang, 2011), N. quadranus , N. taihangensis by the strongly hypertrophied forelimbs in adult males (vs not hypertrophied), and by the presence of nuptial spines on the chest and fingers in adult males (vs absence).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. medogensis (Fei & Ye, 1999), N. phrynoides , and N. sichuanensis by smooth anterior dorsum skin (vs many warts present).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. parkeri (Stejneger, 1927), N. pleskei Günther, 1896, and N. ventripunctata Fei & Huang, 1985 by the shape of the nuptial spines (large and conical spines vs tiny and compact spines).

Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. differs from N. vicina (Stoliczka, 1872) by its toes ca 2/3 webbed (vs fully webbed) and by the absence of bands on the hind limbs (vs presence).

Figures

Figure 2. Dorsal and ventral views of the specimens of the type series of Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. in preservative.

Figure 3. Various views of the male holotype (KIZL 2019016) of Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. in preservative.

Figure 4. Various views of the female paratype (KIZL 2019017) of Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. in preservative.

Figure 5. Different views of the male holotype (KIZL 2019016) of Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. in life.

Figure 6. Different views of the female paratype (KIZL 2019017) of Nanorana xuelinensis sp. nov. in life.