Kalophrynus eok, Das & Haas, 2003

Das, Indraneil & Haas, Alexander, 2003, A New Species Of Kalophrynus (Anura: Microhylidae) From The Highlands Of North-Central Borneo, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 51 (1), pp. 109-113 : 110-111

Kalophrynus eok , new species

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Material examined. – Holotype - Adult male, SBC A.00310 (field number ID-7474; holotype) from Long Re (03º 42’ 2”N; 115º 32’ 06”E), east of Bario along forest trail to Kalimantan border, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo), coll. A. Haas & I. Das, 9 Sep.2001.

projecting slightly beyond mandible; nostrils dorso-laterally positioned, nearer tip of snout than to orbit of eye (E-N/ES ratio 0.78); internarial distance greater than distance from anterior margin of eye to nostril ( IN /E-N ratio 1.05); eye small ( ED /HL ratio 0.55); its diameter less than eye to nostril distance ( ED /E-N ratio 1.38); interorbital width greater than upper eyelid width ( IO /UE ratio 2.05); canthus rostralis distinct; loreal region vertical; upperjaw edentate; a ‘W’- shaped notch (= symphysial knob) on anterior edge of mandible; mouth extends to posterior corner of eye; tongue elongate, smooth, with rounded tip; pupil horizontal; tympanum distinct; supratympanic fold absent.

Fingers basally webbed, the inner and outer margins of finger IV with skin fringes; relative length of fingers (measurements in parentheses, in mm): 3 (4.0)> 2 (2.1)> 1 (1.4)> 4 (1.2); finger tips rounded but not dilated; subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, numbering one on first, second and fourth fingers, two on third finger; fleshy palmar tubercles; portion of finger IV projecting from palm longer than terminal phalanx of finger III; smooth nuptial pads present on upper surfaces of fingers II and III; no enlarged glands on lower arm.

Toes webbed basally to below level of basal subarticular tubercle of toe IV and level of subarticular tubercle of toe Diagnosis. – A small ( SVL 26.3 mm in the only specimen known, an adult male) species of Kalophrynus , diagnosable from congeneric species in showing the following combination of characters: snout obtuse, slightly projecting beyond mandible; head wider than long; fingers and toes basally webbed; a single subarticular tubercle on finger IV; inner and outer metarsal tubercles present; dorsum brick-red, with dark interorbital bar, shoulder chevron and transverse body bar irregular in outline and fused with each other; and inguinal ocellus absent.

Description of holotype (adult male). – A small species of Kalophrynus, SVL 26.3 mm; body elongate, with a narrow waist; head broader than long (HW/HL ratio 1.32); snout obtusely pointed when viewed dorsally and laterally;

III; relative length of toes (measurements in parentheses, in mm): 4 (6.4)> 3 (4.2)> 5 (3.7)> 2 (2.4)> 1 (0.6); toe tips rounded; subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, numbering one on first and second toes; two on third and fifth toes; and three on fourth toe; rounded inner and outer metatarsal tubercles.

Dorsum granular, especially on eyelids and upper surfaces of limbs; no supratympanic fold extends from posterior angle of eye to base of forelimbs; abdomen and inner side of thighs have large, flattened glandular structures.

Colour. – In life, brick-red dorsally, with a sepia interorbital band, fused posteriorly with an irregular, inverted V-shaped scapular mark which is followed by an irregular transverse band across midbody of the same colour; venter flesh color, sides of throat peach red; pectoral and abdominal regions with scattered cream spots; nuptial pads on fingers II and III cream; no inguinal ocellus; and flattened glandular structures of the venter, especially on gular region and lower surfaces of thighs and tibia cream coloured.

Measurements (in mm). – SVL 26.3; HL 5.3; HW 7.0; HD 5.5; BW 9.5; TBL 11.8; TD (vertical) 1.9; TD (horizontal) 1.8; ED 2.9; UE 2.2; IN 2.2; IO 4.5; E-S 2.7; E-N 2.1; AG 11.7.

Etymology. – eok, Kelabit for tiny, in allusion to the small size.

Ecological notes. – The holotype and only known specimen was found calling from a water-filled node of a fallen bamboo, across a forest path within a primary submontane forest at an elevation of ca. 1,050 m above mean sea level. It was collected around 0900 h, following a night of torrential rainfall. Its call can be described as a single, low pitched note, emitted ca. every 3 secs. The following species of frogs were found sympatric with the new species: Limnonectes leporinus , L. kuhlii , Rana hosii , R. chalconota , R. aff. signata, Staurois natator, Nyctixalus pictus, Philautus sp., Leptobrachium montanum and Microhyla berdmorei .

Remarks. – The new species from the Kelabit Highlands is compared with all known congeners, listing only opposing suites of characters for congeners: Kalophrynus baluensis Kiew, 1984 (distribution: endemic to Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia), subarticular tubercles on toes weakly developed; toe V with a single subarticular tubercle; toes unwebbed; raised dermal fold in interorbital region; inguinal ocelli yellow, bordered with black; and dorsum light brown with a dark brown patch, comprising closely-located blotches, running from snout to inguinal region; K. bunguranus (Günther, 1895) (distribution: Great Natuna Island, Indonesia; the record from Limbang, Sarawak in Parker, 1934: 100, in need of confirmation), snout and eye diameter subequal; parotoid glands present; toes one-third webbed; inguinal ocellus present and raised fold in interorbital region; K. heterochirus Boulenger, 1900 (distribution: Borneo), dorsum unpatterned dark brown, with or without bluish-white inguinal spots; dorsum smooth; finger IV with three subarticular tubercles; and no outer metatarsal tubercle; K. interlineatus (Blyth, 1855) (distribution: south-eastern China, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; this taxon was elevated to the rank of species by Matsui et al., 1996), male SVL to 47.7 mm; outer metarsal tubercle absent; and dorsal pattern comprising a narrow dark line commencing from tip of snout; K. intermedius Inger, 1966 (distribution: Borneo), finger IV with two subarticular tubercles; and dorsum brown or purplish-brown, unpatterned or with obscure dark markings; K. menglienicus Yang & Su, 1980 (distribution: south-eastern China), toes free; a dark stripe from nostril to anterior corner of mouth, and along sides, from corner of eyes, across flanks, to inguinal region; and dorsum with scattered dark blotches; K. minusculus Iskandar, 1998 (distribution: Java, Indonesia), several parallel black stripes on dorsum and paired axillary glands present; K. nubicola Dring, 1984 (distribution: Borneo), subarticular tubercles on digits indistinct or absent; males with enlarged glands on lower arm and venter pale orange with blue markings; K. orangensis Dutta et al., 2000 (distribution: Assam State, north-eastern India), SVL 35-38 mm; supratympanic fold present; fingers free of web; a black ocellus in inguinal region and dorsum reddish-brown or cream, with a deep brown inverted V-shaped mark; K. palmatissimus Kiew, 1984 (distribution: Peninsular Malaysia), tympanum indistinct; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; webbing on toe IV to beyond median subarticular tubercle; and sole of feet with supernumerary spicules; K. pleurostigma (Tschudi, 1838) (distribution: southern China, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Natuna Island, Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines islands including Leyte, Mindanao, Maripipi, Bohol and Camiguin), SVL to 52.0 mm; black ocellus in inguinal region; venter pale with scattered black pigmentation; finger IV with two subarticular tubercles; and webbing on toe IV to median subarticular tubercle; K. punctatus Peters, 1871 (distribution: north-western Borneo and perhaps Pulau Sipura in the Mentawai Archipelago, the latter record in need of confirmation; see Dring et al., “1989” 1990), snout length and eye diameter subequal; tympanum partially obscured; toe V projecting beyond toe III; outer metatarsal tubercle indistinct; and dorsum brown with oblique pale lines on sides of head and flanks; K. robinsoni Smith, 1922 (distribution: Peninsular Malaysia), SVL to 18.0 mm; a series of tubercles along dorsolateral region; snout length and eye diameter subequal; and subarticular tubercles indistinct; and K. subterrestris Inger, 1966 (distribution: Borneo), dorsum dark brown with scattered pale spots; and pale inguinal spot present.

Figures

Fig. 1. Lateral view of holotype of Kalophrynus eok, new species (SBC A.00310), in life.

Fig. 2. Ventral view of holotype of Kalophrynus eok, new species (SBC A.00310), in life.