Litoria everetti ( Boulenger, 1897 )

Donnellan, S. C., Catullo, R. A., Rowley, J. J. L., Doughty, P., Price, L., Hines, H. B. & Richards, S. J., 2023, Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia, Zootaxa 5352 (1), pp. 73-108 : 98-99

Litoria everetti ( Boulenger, 1897)

Nusa Tenggara Laughing Treefrog

Fig. 6

Hyla everetti Boulenger, 1897 .

Syntypes: “numerous specimens”—BMNH 1947.2.23.60–65 (formerly 97.6.21.106–111) (Savu) and 1947.2.23.66–67 (formerly 97.6.21.104–05) (Sumba), according to Condit (1964). NHMW 19509.1–3 also considered syntypes by Häupl & Tiedemann, (1978) and Häupl et al. (1994). Type locality: “Sumba and Savu” islands, Indonesia; restricted to “Sumba” by Forcart (1953).

Material examined. See Supplementary Table S2 .

Diagnosis. Can be distinguished from Litoria rothii and L. ridibunda sp. nov. by the pattern on the hidden portions of the legs in life. Litoria everetti has an orange marbled pattern. Litoria rothii typically has an immaculate glossy black background with yellow or occasionally white patches with highly discrete margins, providing a strong contrast between the black background and the coloured patches. L. ridibunda sp. nov. typically has a matt black or dark grey background with yellow, orange or reddish coloured well-spaced patches or linear arrangements of coalesced patches often on the lower margin of the posterior thigh. The matt black or dark grey background and provides less contrast than is seen L. rothii .

It can be distinguished from L. rothii and L. ridibunda sp. nov. by apomorphic nucleotide states at 17 and 26 sites, respectively, in the ND4 gene alignment ( Table 2 ).

Description including variation. Tyler (1968) described variation among 28 individuals from Savu, Sumba, Timor and Alor. Here we describe morphological variation based on another 16 individuals ( Table 4 , Supplementary Table S2 ). Mean SVL: females = 44.3 mm (n=14), males = 39.5 mm (n=2). Head length equal to head width (HW/HL = 0.9–1.1) and approximately one-third of SVL (HL/SVL = 0.3–0.34). Snout prominent, rounded when viewed from above and blunt when viewed in profile. Nostrils more lateral than superior, closer to snout than to eye. Distance between eye and naris equal to internarial span (EN/IND = 0.4–1.3). Canthus rostralis gently curved. Eye relatively large, its diameter equal to eye to naris distance (ED/EN = 0.9–1.2). Pupil horizontal when constricted. Tympanum distinct, circular, length slightly greater than half eye diameter (TD/ED = 0.5–0.7). The vomerine teeth are in two circular or broadly oval series situated between the choanae.

Fingers long, broad, webbed at base. Subarticular and palmar tubercles prominent. Terminal discs prominent, extending beyond lateral extremities of penultimate phalanx. Fingers in order of length 3>4>1>2. Hindlimb length moderate (TL/SVL = 0.5–0.55). Toes in order of length 4>5=3>2>1. Toes fully webbed. Subarticular tubercles not prominent. Oval inner metatarsal tubercle not prominent. Terminal toe discs prominent, extending beyond lateral extremities of penultimate phalanx.

Dorsum mildly granular. Upper surface of limbs smooth or mildly granular. Abdomen, undersurface of thighs, and lateral aspect of body coarsely granular. Distinct pectoral fold present. Vocal slits present in buccal cavity.

Colour. Description of colour in life is based on images of four individuals from Timor (n=3) and Sumba (n=1). Dorsum and head vary from uniformly bone to light brown, darker animals tend to be heavily mottled with dark brown ( Fig. 6 ). Upper surfaces of limbs with same colour and pattern as dorsum. Wrist sometimes with black mark. In lighter coloured individuals, supratympanic fold across demarked by a thin black stripe beginning at posterior margin of eye and continuous across the top of the tympanum to black patch in axilla. Lips usually immaculate. Snout or canthus rostralis with small black spots sparsely in lighter coloured individuals; dorsal pattern and coloration continuous with snout and canthus rostralis in darker individuals.

Posterior thigh with matt black markings varying from a few blotches to transverse patches separated by with orange patches occupying between 20–70% of the posterior thigh ( Fig. 6 ). Vent same colour as surrounding dorsal colours. Fore of thighs and groin, outer margin of leg and dorsal surface of foot unpatterned. Ventral surface of legs plain. Axilla with blotches.

Abdomen plain white, immaculate or with indistinct dark mottling on anterior margins. Colour of throat in calling males unknown. Throat sometimes with small indistinct dark mottling otherwise unpigmented. Upper iris orange-brown, lower iris grey to light brown.

Habitat and reproductive biology. Smith (1927) collected several individuals and tadpoles in puddles near Tjamplong (elevation 100–200 m) and Soë (elevation 800 m) in West Timor. Smith (1927) described and illustrated the larval morphology from a sample from Tjamplong (elevation 100–200 m) and Soë (elevation 800 m) in West Timor. Forcart (1953) reported that newly metamorphosed frogs were collected on the leaves of shrubs and bushes in damp palm forest material from Prai Jawang, Sumba. Kaiser et al. (2014) encountered L. everetti and Limnonectes timorensis together along the Meleotegi River near Eraulo, Ermera District, Timor-Leste at an elevation of 1,200 m. Menzies (2006) collected adults in the central mountains of Timor in the axils of bananas in a coffee plantation in a region where the natural vegetation was Eucalyptus woodland. The call has not been described ( Menzies 2006).

Distribution. Lesser Sunda Islands of Alor, West Timor, Savu, and Sumba, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, 0–1500 m elevation ( Menzies 2006).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Photos in life of Litoria everetti (USNM 578928) from Meleotegi River, Ermera District, Timor Leste. A) laterodorsal view (Mark O’Shea), B) dorsal view (Hinrich Kaiser), C) posterior thigh (Hinrich Kaiser), D) dorsal view of vent (Hinrich Kaiser).