Two new species of Anomaloglossus (Anura: Aromobatidae) of the stepheni group from Suriname
Author
Fouquet, Antoine
Laboratoire Evolution et Diversit Biologique (EDB), UMR 5174, Toulouse, France.
Author
Jairam, Rawien
0000-0002-6310-8321
National Zoological Collection Suriname (NZCS), Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Paramaribo, Suriname. rawien _ 2000 @ yahoo. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6310 - 8321
rawien_2000@yahoo.com
Author
Ouboter, Paul
Institute for Neotropical Wildlife and Environmental Studies (NeoWild), Paramaribo, Suriname
Author
Kok, Philippe J. R.
Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-07-27
4820
1
147
164
journal article
8950
10.11646/zootaxa.4820.1.7
f88d32b0-c7f5-4f74-94dd-f212f068cea6
1175-5326
4397441
6E7A3966-8D72-4CB0-9345-7C30A28EAA8C
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
Anomaloglossus baeobatrachus
Ouboter & Jairam 2012
Anomaloglossus
sp. Bakhuis
Vacher
et al.
2017
Holotype
.
MNHN
_RA_2019.0009 (field n°AF3413), an adult male, collected by
A. Fouquet
, S. Cally and
R
.
Jairam
on
30 April 2015
at
Bakhuis Mountains
,
Suriname
(
4.72462 N
56.7638 W
, ~
200 m
elevation;
Figs. 2‒3
; Ap-pendix 1).
Paratopotypes.
Eight specimens:
MNHN
_RA_2019.0009‒11, 13‒15 (field n°AF3412, 3424, 3426, 3430, 3434) and
NZCS-A1208‒9
(field n°AF3433, 3441) seven adult males and
MNHN
_RA_2019.0012 (field n° AF3425) one female collected with the
holotype
by
A. Fouquet
,
S. Cally
and
R
.
Jairam
.
Etymology.
This species is dedicated to Jean-Pierre Vacher, in honour of his strong contribution to the understanding of the diversity and the evolution of the genus
Anomaloglossus
.
Definition.
(1)
Small-sized
Anomaloglossus
(average
male
SVL
17.4 mm
[17.0–17.8,
n
= 8],
female
SVL
19.7 mm
[
n
= 1]) (
Table
1
); (2) body robust; (3) skin on dorsum finely granular with larger scattered tubercles becoming denser on the posterior half and legs, with a larger tubercle on each eyelid; (4) ventral skin smooth except under thighs, where it is finely granular; (5) inconspicuous supratympanic fold; (6) tympanum distinct anteroventrally; (7) snout long and protruding in lateral view; (8) nares oriented ventrolaterally, situated near tip of snout; (9)
Finger
II equal to
Finger I
when fingers adpressed; (10) tip of
Finger
IV not reaching distal subarticular tubercle on
Finger
III when fingers adpressed; (11) distal subarticular tubercle distinct on
Finger
III and IV, inconspicuous on the other fingers; (12)
Finger
III swollen dorsally and preaxially in
males
, extending largely towards dorsal surface of hand; (13) fringes present on all fingers, particularly developed post- and preaxially on
Finger
II and preaxially on
Finger
III, almost inconspicuous on
Finger
IV, in
males
and
females
; (14) toes basally webbed, with well-developed fringes on all toes, more developed preaxially on
Toes
II and III; (15) tarsal keel well-defined, strongly curved; (16) glandular supracarpal pad present in both sexes (larger and more glandular in
males
); (17) cloacal tubercles present; (18) paracloacal mark present (orangish in life, cream to grey in preservative); (19) dorsolateral stripe absent; (20) oblique lateral stripe present, diffuse (composed of yellow and white speckles), particularly diffuse anteriorly, extending along upper eyelid into a diffuse canthal stripe, lateral band uniformly dark brown/black in
males
and
females
in life, lower flank yellowish orange to grey with white speckles; (21) ventrolateral stripe absent; (22) dorsal surface of arms barely blotched in
males
, orange; (23) sexual dichromatism in throat colour pattern present, in life light grey in
males
with sparse minute black melanophores (chin often yellow), evenly and entirely yellow in
females
; (24) sexual dichromatism in ventral colour pattern present, in life abdomen entirely yellowish orange in
males
, uniformly yellowish orange in
females
; (25) iris with metallic pigmentation and pupil ring inconspicuously interrupted ventrally by transversal black pigmentation; (26) median lingual process as long as wide, tapered, bluntly pointed, smooth (non-papillate), reclined in pit; (27) call 0.47–0.91 s in length, consisting of a train of 8–18 notes of 0.019–0.021 s in length and spaced by intervals of 0.042 s with a dominant frequency at 5.11–5.35 kHz (
n
= 5;
Table
2
); (28)
type
4 tadpole (
Orton
1953
), exotrophic, with a functional mouth with marginal papillae and labial teeth (
Fig. 5
,
Table
3
).
Morphological comparisons with other
Anomaloglossus
.
Like
Anomaloglossus saramaka
sp. nov.
,
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
can be distinguished from species of the
A. degranvillei
group by its basal webbing (moderate in species of the
A. degranvillei
group), smaller fringes that are more developed on Toes II-IV (well-developed fringes on all toes) and the presence of a solid oblique lateral stripe (absence) and from all the other described
Anomaloglossus
species of the Pantepui region by the presence of an oblique lateral stripe.
Within the
Anomaloglossus stepheni
group (comparisons follow below),
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
is morphologically most similar to
A. baeobatrachus
,
A. leopardus
,
A. mitaraka
and
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
and can easily be confused with these species.
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can mainly be distinguished from
A. baeobatrachus
by (1) oblique lateral stripe extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(oblique lateral stripe not extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. baeobatrachus
); (2) dorsal surface of arms barely blotched and orange in males of
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(with dark brown blotches and light brown in
A. baeobatrachus
); (3) ventral coloration yellowish orange in males in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(white or only posteriorly yellow in
A. baeobatrachus
); (4) call with higher note rate (mean = 18.2, range 17.3–19.2 note/s in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 8] vs mean = 16.2, range 15.6–16.8 note/s in
A. baeobatrachus
[
n
= 9]) (
Table 2
).
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can mainly be distinguished from
A. leopardus
by (1) narrow, poorly defined dark brown bars on legs (broad and conspicuous dark brown in
A. leopardus
); (2) dorsal surface of arms barely blotched and orange in males of
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(light brown with dark brown blotches in
A. leopardus
); (3) oblique lateral stripe extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(not extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. leopardus
); (4) advertisement call shorter (mean = 0.63, range 0.47–
0.91 s
in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 1.52, range 1.08–
2.00 s
in
A. leopardus
[
n
= 4]) and higher in frequency (mean = 5.25, range 5.11–5.35 kHz in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 4.45, range 4.40–4.57 kHz in
A. leopardus
[
n
= 4]) (
Table 2
).
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can mainly be distinguished from
A. mitaraka
by (1) smaller male body size (mean = 17.4; range 17.0–
17.8 mm
in males [
n
= 8] in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
vs mean = 18.6; range
18.2–19.3 mm
in males [
n
= 7] in
A. mitaraka
); (2) dorsal surface of arms barely blotched and orange in males of
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(with dark blotches and light brown in
A. mitaraka
); (3) oblique lateral stripe extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(not extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. mitaraka
); (4) advertisement with a higher note rate (mean = 18.2, range 17.3–19.1 note/s in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 8] vs mean = 11.4 note/s, range
10.8–12.3 in
A. mitaraka
[
n
= 6]) and higher in frequency (mean = 5.25, range 5.11–5.35 kHz in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 4.43, range 4.12–4.76 kHz in
A. mitaraka
[
n
= 6]) (
Table 2
).
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can mainly be distinguished from
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
by (1) smaller male body size (mean = 17.4; range 17.0–
17.8 mm
in males [
n
= 8] in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
vs mean = 19.3; range
18.6–19.9 mm
in males [
n
= 10] in
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
); (2) dorsal surface of arms barely blotched and orange in males of
A. vacheri
(with dark blotches and light brown in
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
); (3) oblique lateral stripe extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(not extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
); (4) advertisement with a higher note rate (mean = 18.2, range 17.3–19.2 note/s in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 8] vs mean = 14.5 note/s, range 14.0–
15.3 in
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
[
n
= 6]) and higher in frequency (mean = 5.25, range 5.11–5.35 kHz in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 4.84, range 4.55–5.02 kHz in
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
[
n
= 6]) (
Table 2
).
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can be mainly distinguished from
A. apiau
by (1) solid oblique lateral stripe in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(present as a series of conspicuous white dots extending from groin midway along flank in
A. apiau
); (2) by its shorter call (mean = 0.63, range 0.47–
0.91 s
in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 19.6, range 7.0–
39.4 s
in
A. apiau
[
n
= 10]).
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can mainly be distinguished from
A. stepheni
(
Figs. 2‒3
) by (1) skin on dorsum finely granular in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
vs evenly tuberculate in
A. stepheni
; (2) ventral colouration mostly yellowish orange in males in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
vs uniformly white in
A. stepheni
; (3) oblique lateral stripe extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
vs oblique lateral stripe not extending along upper eyelid into a canthal stripe in
A. stepheni
; (4) advertisement call longer (mean = 0.63, range 0.47–
0.91 s
in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean=
0.25 s
, range 0.18–
0.29 s
in
A. stepheni
[
n
= 4]), and higher in frequency (mean = 5.25, range 5.11–5.35 kHz in
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
[
n
= 5] vs mean = 4.48, range 4.25–4.85 kHz in
A. stepheni
[
n
= 4]) (
Table 2
).
Description of the
holotype
.
An adult male,
17.5 mm
SVL; body robust; head wider than long, HL 98 % of HW; HL 33 % of SVL; dorsal skin finely tuberculate with larger tubercles posteriorly, one enlarged tubercle on each eyelid, snout long (SL 51 % of HL), rounded to nearly truncate in dorsal view, protruding in lateral view, extending past lower jaw. Nares located anterolaterally; canthus rostralis rounded, loreal region concave; IN 41 % of HW; EN 30 % of HL, 77 % of ED. Tympanum distinct anteroventrally; supratympanic fold inconspicuous; choanae small, circular, located anterolaterally.
Forelimb slender, skin tuberculate; HAND 23 % of SVL; Finger I as long as Finger II when fingers adpressed; fingers large and flattened; webbing absent on fingers; lateral fringes present, particularly developed post and preaxially on Finger II and preaxially on Finger III; Finger III distinctly swollen dorsally and preaxially, swelling largely extending towards dorsal surface of hand; tip of Finger IV not reaching distal subarticular tubercle on Finger III when fingers adpressed; finger discs expanded, wider than long, about 1.5 times width of digit; width of disc on Finger III
0.6 mm
; discs with distinct dorsal scutes; relative lengths of adpressed fingers III> IV> II> I; palmar tubercle large, heart-shaped,
0.75 mm
in diameter (larger than disc on Finger III), thenar tubercle elliptic, small (equal to disc on Finger III in maximum diameter), half the size of palmar tubercle, well separated from palmar tubercle; basal subarticular tubercles on fingers and distal subarticular tubercle of Finger III and IV conspicuous; subarticular tubercles on Fingers I and II the largest, followed by subarticular tubercles and basal subarticular tubercle on Finger III.
TABLE 1.
Adult body measurements (in mm).
Species |
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
|
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
|
Sex |
M (10) |
F (6) |
M (8) |
F (1) |
X |
sd |
Min |
Max |
X |
sd |
Min |
Max |
X |
sd |
Min |
Max |
X |
sd |
SVL |
19.25 |
0.44 |
18.6 |
19.9 |
20.33 |
0.63 |
19.90 |
21.60 |
17.41 |
0.31 |
17.00 |
17.80 |
19.70 |
NA |
HL |
6.24 |
0.08 |
6.10 |
6.30 |
6.73 |
0.15 |
6.60 |
7.00 |
5.76 |
0.17 |
5.50 |
6.00 |
6.00 |
NA |
HW |
6.51 |
0.20 |
6.08 |
6.70 |
7.02 |
0.21 |
6.70 |
7.30 |
5.93 |
0.17 |
5.06 |
6.10 |
6.30 |
NA |
SL |
3.25 |
0.19 |
3.00 |
3.50 |
3.48 |
0.12 |
3.30 |
3.60 |
2.99 |
0.11 |
2.80 |
3.10 |
3.20 |
NA |
EN |
1.89 |
0.07 |
1.80 |
2.00 |
2.10 |
0.14 |
1.90 |
2.30 |
1.78 |
0.05 |
1.70 |
1.80 |
1.90 |
NA |
IN |
2.73 |
0.12 |
2.06 |
2.90 |
2.77 |
0.15 |
2.50 |
2.90 |
2.41 |
0.06 |
2.30 |
2.50 |
2.60 |
NA |
EL |
2.39 |
0.09 |
2.20 |
2.05 |
2.50 |
0.14 |
2.30 |
2.70 |
2.24 |
0.05 |
2.20 |
2.30 |
2.30 |
NA |
IO |
2.12 |
0.09 |
2.00 |
2.30 |
2.27 |
0.08 |
2.20 |
2.40 |
2.03 |
0.05 |
2.00 |
2.10 |
2.10 |
NA |
TYM |
1.36 |
0.07 |
1.27 |
1.50 |
1.50 |
0.00 |
1.50 |
1.50 |
1.23 |
0.10 |
1.10 |
1.40 |
1.40 |
NA |
FAL |
4.19 |
0.13 |
4.06 |
4.40 |
4.40 |
0.14 |
1.50 |
4.60 |
3.80 |
0.08 |
3.70 |
3.90 |
4.00 |
NA |
HAND |
4.68 |
0.13 |
4.50 |
4.90 |
4.77 |
0.16 |
4.60 |
5.00 |
4.21 |
0.12 |
4.10 |
4.40 |
4.30 |
NA |
WFD |
0.67 |
0.04 |
0.60 |
0.70 |
0.68 |
0.04 |
0.60 |
0.70 |
0.61 |
0.04 |
0.60 |
0.70 |
0.50 |
NA |
TL |
9.06 |
0.24 |
8.80 |
9.60 |
9.50 |
0.28 |
9.20 |
10.00 |
8.30 |
0.15 |
8.10 |
8.50 |
8.80 |
NA |
FL |
8.24 |
0.31 |
7.70 |
8.70 |
8.50 |
0.28 |
8.20 |
8.90 |
7.43 |
0.09 |
7.30 |
7.50 |
7.50 |
NA |
WTD |
0.83 |
0.06 |
0.70 |
0.90 |
0.83 |
0.05 |
0.80 |
0.90 |
0.79 |
0.04 |
0.70 |
0.80 |
0.70 |
NA |
ThL |
9.34 |
0.21 |
9.10 |
9.80 |
9.83 |
0.29 |
9.40 |
10.30 |
8.49 |
0.15 |
8.30 |
8.70 |
9.00 |
NA |
1FiL |
2.69 |
0.12 |
2.50 |
2.90 |
2.80 |
0.06 |
2.70 |
2.90 |
2.31 |
0.08 |
2.20 |
2.50 |
2.40 |
NA |
TABLE 2.
Summary variables of the calls of two new species of the
Anomaloglossus stepheni
group.
Species |
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
(
n =
7)
|
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
(
n =
5)
|
X |
sd |
Min |
Max |
X |
sd |
Min |
Max |
Call rate (calls/s) |
0.914 |
0.177 |
0.700 |
1.100 |
0.985 |
0.242 |
0.711 |
1.270 |
Call length (s) |
0.509 |
0.108 |
0.381 |
0.695 |
0.629 |
0.205 |
0.470 |
0.912 |
Note length (s) |
0.028 |
0.002 |
0.024 |
0.031 |
0.02 |
0.001 |
0.019 |
0.021 |
Inter-note interval (s) |
0.047 |
0.003 |
0.042 |
0.052 |
0.039 |
0.003 |
0.035 |
0.042 |
Note rate (notes/s) |
14.58 |
0.396 |
14.0 |
15.3 |
18.21 |
0.765 |
17.3 |
19.2 |
Number of notes |
7.500 |
0.901 |
5 |
11 |
6.35 |
0.137 |
8 |
20 |
Dominant frequency (kHz) |
4.837 |
0.152 |
4.55 |
5.02 |
5.255 |
0.103 |
5.11 |
5.35 |
Hind limb robust, skin tuberculate; TL 48 % of SVL; heels in contact when hind limbs are flexed at right angles to the sagittal plane of body; FL 42 % of SVL; relative length of adpressed toes IV> III> V> II> I; Toe I very short, its tip reaching the base of subarticular tubercle on Toe II when toes adpressed; toe discs larger than width of toes. Width of disc on Toe IV
0.8 mm
. Foot basally webbed; lateral fringes present on all toes, more developed preaxially on Toes II and III. Toe webbing formula
I
1+
‒
1-
II
1+
‒
1-
III
1+
‒
1+
IV
0
‒
1+
V
. One to three subarticular tubercles on toes as follows: one on Toes I and II, two on Toes III and V, three on Toe IV. Inner metatarsal tubercle protuberant elliptical,
0.5 mm
in length, outer metatarsal tubercle round, protuberant,
0.3 mm
in diameter. Tarsal keel well defined, tubercle-like and strongly curved at proximal end. Metatarsal fold strong.
Colour of
holotype
in life.
Dorsal colour light brown with dark brown blotches occurring on the interorbital region and at mid-body forming an hourglass pattern. Blotches of the same colour also occur laterally along the oblique lateral stripe. Oblique lateral stripe thin, diffuse (particularly anteriorly), formed by white and yellow speckles, extending along the upper eyelid into a diffuse canthal stripe (
Fig. 2
). Dark brown lateral band below oblique lateral stripe, tapering posteriorly, extending from tip of snout to groin and containing the indistinct dorsal part of tympanum, tapering posteriorly. Upper lip grey with a few small white speckles. Lower flank (below dark brown lateral band) grey with white speckles. Throat light grey, chin yellowish orange, throat and chin covered with minute melanophores, more densely laterally; belly bright yellowish orange, ventral surfaces of thighs and arms yellowish orange. Iris with coper metallic pigmentation and pupil ring uninterrupted by transversal pigmentation (
Fig. 2
).
Upper and lower arm light orange dorsally with a few white speckles. Black glandular spot at junction between lower arm and hand, followed by a grey coloured part of the swollen gland extending on Finger III. Dorsal surfaces of thigh, shank and tarsus light brown with ill-defined dark brown transverse bars and ill-defined dark brown blotches. Paracloacal marks light brown, elongate. Toes and digits with small light blueish speckles dorsally and laterally. Palms and soles dark brown.
Colour of
holotype
in preservative.
After four years in 70 % ethanol, colours of the specimen faded and the dorsal colouration now varies from pale brown to grey with darker blotches, the yellowish orange ventral colouration faded to white (
Fig. 3
). Bluish speckles and orange marks turned white as well.
Variation among
type
specimens.
Measurements (range, mean, and standard deviation) of the
type
series are provided in
Table 1
. Colour of oblique lateral stripe varies in its proportion of white and yellow. Overall dorsal and lateral coloration and tuberculation may vary with light intensity, time of the day and probably reproductive activity as calling males are dark coloured and highly tuberculate. Dorsal dark brown hourglass pattern may be absent (
MNHN
_RA_2019.0013, field n° AF3426;
NZCS-A1208
, field n°AF3433). Paracloacal marks sometimes inconspicuous. Throat colouration of female is entirely yellowish orange while the yellowish orange parts are often limited to the chin in males (extent of coloured part of chin varies). Vocal sac, slits and minute black melanophores on throat only observed in males as well as swelling of Finger
III
.
Advertisement call.
Five collected specimens calling from the leaf litter were recorded from a distance of about
2 m
and at temperatures between 25‒26°C and 98% relative humidity. Descriptive statistics of call parameters are presented in
Table 2
.
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
emits trains (call length mean = 0.63, range 0.47–
0.91 s
) of 8–18 short notes (note length mean =
0.020 s
; range
0.019
–0.021
s; inter-note interval mean =
0.039 s
; range
0.036
–0.042
s). The spectral structure of the note has a developed harmonic structure and the dominant frequency is 5.25 kHz on average (range 5.11–5.35 kHz) with a slight upward modulation (ca. 0.4 kHz) (
Fig. 4
,
Table 2
).
FIGURE 4
. Spectrograms and oscillograms of the advertisement calls of the two species described herein,
Anomaloglossus saramaka
sp. nov.
and
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
, along with the calls of four additional described species of the
A. stepheni
group; in a 2 s time window (top) and a close-up in a 0.1 s time window (bottom).
Larval morphology
.
The following description is based on two tadpoles at stage 28 and 30 (
Fig. 5
). Tadpoles correspond to a
type
4 tadpole of
Orton (1953)
; exotrophic; body skin smooth; TL 15.00–
19.06 mm
; BL
5.27–6.46 mm
, 34–35 % of TL, 151–160 % of BW, 261–267 % of BH; BW 135–144 % of BH (
Table 3
); body ovoid, snout round in dorsal and lateral view; eyes positioned and directed laterally; ED
0.49–0.61 mm
, 55–58 % of IOD; IOD smaller than IND; nares frontally positioned and directed laterodorsally; narial opening circular in lateral view; END
0.55–0.71 mm
. Spiracular tube sinistral, conical, projecting posterodorsally, its tip located at 57–59 % of BL posteriorly to snout. Lateral-line system inconspicuous. Caudal musculature highest at its base, tapering posteriorly, terminating at tail tip; tail tip rounded; upper fin originating at junction of body and tail, gradually increasing in height to about 3/4 of tail; UTF 47–48 % of
TMH
;
LTF 46–49
% of
TMH
;
MTH 13–16
% of TL (
Fig. 5
,
Table 3
)
.
TABLE 3.
Tadpole measurements (in mm).
Species |
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
|
A. vacheri
sp. nov.
|
Specimen |
AF3865A |
AF3865B |
AF3865C |
AF3897A |
AF3897B |
AF3897C |
AF3442A |
AF3422A |
Gosner stage |
28 |
29 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
TL |
14.48 |
17.19 |
15.46 |
13.32 |
13.72 |
12.95 |
15.00 |
19.06 |
BL |
4.73 |
5.89 |
5.49 |
4.43 |
4.53 |
4.33 |
5.27 |
6.46 |
TAL |
9.84 |
11.24 |
10.24 |
9.07 |
9.13 |
9.01 |
9.53 |
12.64 |
BW |
3.24 |
3.60 |
3.33 |
2.92 |
2.84 |
2.73 |
3.50 |
4.05 |
BH |
2.48 |
2.82 |
2.70 |
2.02 |
1.90 |
2.04 |
2.43 |
2.99 |
HW |
2.74 |
3.35 |
2.97 |
2.48 |
2.47 |
2.41 |
2.82 |
3.68 |
TMH |
1.23 |
1.36 |
1.25 |
1.25 |
1.38 |
1.41 |
1.30 |
1.50 |
UTF |
0.64 |
0.67 |
0.66 |
0.64 |
0.59 |
0.56 |
0.63 |
0.71 |
LTF |
0.53 |
0.60 |
0.59 |
0.47 |
0.46 |
0.49 |
0.64 |
0.69 |
TMW |
1.39 |
1.42 |
1.21 |
1.24 |
1.10 |
1.24 |
1.24 |
1.52 |
MTH |
2.12 |
2.20 |
2.20 |
1.98 |
2.00 |
1.87 |
2.35 |
2.55 |
END |
0.46 |
0.53 |
0.50 |
0.49 |
0.56 |
0.45 |
0.55 |
0.71 |
NSD |
0.70 |
0.78 |
0.62 |
0.59 |
0.59 |
0.49 |
0.67 |
0.58 |
IND |
0.73 |
0.83 |
0.80 |
0.75 |
0.80 |
0.78 |
0.95 |
1.15 |
IOD |
0.84 |
0.93 |
0.90 |
0.87 |
0.87 |
0.89 |
0.84 |
1.11 |
ED |
0.45 |
0.60 |
0.51 |
0.46 |
0.47 |
0.48 |
0.49 |
0.61 |
Mouth ventral, oral disc strongly emarginated, width
1.27–1.89 mm
. Labial teeth long, in single rows, LTRF 2(2)/3. A-2 consisting of two short rows, separated by a large and deep gap; P-1 not interrupted. Marginal papillae long, of equal size on each labium, tapered, blunt-tipped, in a single row, evenly distributed; median gap on upper labium approximately 2/3 the length of A-1; jaw sheaths large, serrated, lower jaw sheath broadly V-shaped.
In life, the body is dark grey with abundant golden flecks, particularly on dorsum, except the loreal and postocular regions that are pink. Golden flecks become scarce ventrally. Posteriorly, dark grey coloration fades and tail becomes translucent.
The tadpole of
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
can be distinguished from those of
Anomaloglossus
of the
stepheni
group that are endotrophic (
A. stepheni
and
A. baeobatrachus
) by the presence of a functional mouth with marginal papillae and labial teeth. It can be distinguished from the tadpole of
A. mitaraka
and
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
by its less dense pigmentation particularly ventrally and by a spiracle located more anteriorly.
Distribution and natural history.
Anomaloglossus vacheri
sp. nov.
is a diurnal species inhabiting the leaf litter in primary forest at low elevation (
200 m
elevaion). The species has only been found in
terra firme
forest on lateritic crust distant from streams.
Males call after rainfall. Breeding apparently occurs during the rainy season, probably extending between December and July, depending on rainfall. The males respond to intraspecific playbacks with shorter and more rapidly emitted note trills. Males are spaced by at least five meters apart. They usually call slightly above the leaf litter, exposed on a branch or a dead leaf. Eggs are probably deposited under or in the fold of a dead leaf. After they hatch the male probably carries the tadpoles to small water bodies formed in the lateritic crust where tadpoles where found (
Fig. 5
).
A single population is known to date, in Bakhuis Mountains,
Suriname
. The species likely occurs throughout the massif, but it unlikely extends much further since other species occur nearby (
A. leopardus
,
A. mitaraka
,
A. saramaka
sp. nov.
), and that other species of this group with exotrophic tadpole display a strong allopatric pattern of distribution.