Mountain jade: A new high-elevation microendemic species of the genus <i>Zhangixalus</i> (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos

Peter Brakels; Tan Van Nguyen; Parinya Pawangkhanant; Sabira S. Idiiatullina; Sengvilay Lorphengsy; Chatmongkon Suwannapoom; Nikolay A. Poyarkov

doi:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.382

Volume 44 Issue 2

Mar. 2023

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Article Navigation > Zoological Research > 2023 > 44(2): 374-379

Peter Brakels, Tan Van Nguyen, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Sabira S. Idiiatullina, Sengvilay Lorphengsy, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Nikolay A. Poyarkov. Mountain jade: A new high-elevation microendemic species of the genus Zhangixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos. Zoological Research, 2023, 44(2): 374-379. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.382

Citation:

Peter Brakels, Tan Van Nguyen, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Sabira S. Idiiatullina, Sengvilay Lorphengsy, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Nikolay A. Poyarkov. Mountain jade: A new high-elevation microendemic species of the genus Zhangixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos. Zoological Research, 2023, 44(2): 374-379. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.382

Citation:

Peter Brakels, Tan Van Nguyen, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Sabira S. Idiiatullina, Sengvilay Lorphengsy, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Nikolay A. Poyarkov. Mountain jade: A new high-elevation microendemic species of the genus Zhangixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos. Zoological Research, 2023, 44(2): 374-379. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.382

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Mountain jade: A new high-elevation microendemic species of the genus Zhangixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos

doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.382

1.
IUCN Laos PDR, Vientiane 01160, Lao PDR
2.
Institute for Research and Training in Medicine, Biology and Pharmacy, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
3.
Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
4.
Division of Fishery, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
5.
Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
6.
Biotechnology and Ecology Institute, Ministry of Science and Technology, Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR
7.
Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi 122000, Vietnam

Fieldwork in Laos was permitted by the Biotechnology and Ecology Institute, Ministry of Science and Technology, Lao PDR (permit No. 009 of 23 June 2020). Specimens were collected under approval from the Institute of Animals for Scientific Purposes Development (IAD), which issued fieldwork permission (No. 610104022).
Supplementary data to this article can be found online.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
P.B., T.V.N., C.S., and N.A.P. designed the study. P.B., N.A.P., T.V.N., P.P, S.S.I., and S.L. collected specimens in the field. N.A.P., S.S.I., and S.L. performed molecular experiments. T.V.N, S.S.I., and N.A.P. performed data analyses. P.B., C.S., T.V.N., and N.A.P. wrote the manuscript. C.S., T.V.N., and N.A.P. revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
#Authors contributed equally to this work

Funds: This work was supported by Thailand Research Fund 2019 (MRG6280203), the Unit of Excellence 2023 on Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management, University of Phayao (FF66-UoE003, specimen collection) to C.S., and partially by the Russian Science Foundation (22-14-00037, molecular phylogenetic analyses) to N.A.P.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: chatmongkonup@gmail.com; n.poyarkov@gmail.com
Received Date: 2023-01-16
Accepted Date: 2023-03-09

Published Online: 2023-03-14

Publish Date: 2023-03-18

Abstract

Abstract

We report on a new species, Zhangixalus melanoleucus sp. nov. , from Phou Samsoum Mountain (PSM) in Xiengkhouang Province, northeastern Laos, based on an integrative taxonomic approach, including morphological, molecular, and bioacoustic lines of evidence. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following diagnostic characters: medium body size (SVL 34.4–36.3 mm in males, 53.7 mm in a single female); dorsum smooth and green; chest and belly lacking spots; ﬂanks, axillae, ventral surfaces of forearms, inguinal, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs white, covered with irregular black pattern; finger webbing formula I 2½–3 II 2–3 III 2¼–2 IV; toe webbing formula I 2–2½ II 1–2 III 1–2 IV 2–1 V; toe webbing cream with small black blotches; outer margin of forearms and feet with weak dermal ridges; supracloacal fold and pointed projection at tibiotarsal articulation absent; and iris reddish-orange. The new species is divergent from all other members of Zhangixalus based on 16S rRNA gene sequences (P=3.4%–8.8%) and is reconstructed as the sister species of Z. nigropunctatus. The advertisement call of the new species consists of clicking sounds and includes a series of notes, each 0.28 s in duration and consisting of 2–3 pulses with a dominant frequency of ca. 3.14 kHz. To date, Zhangixalus melanoleucus sp. nov. is known only from the montane evergreen forests of PSM at elevations of 2 000–2 200 m a.s.l. We preliminary suggest the new species should be considered as Data Deficient (DD) following the IUCN’s Red List categories.

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References(12)

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