An investigation into the taxonomy of Abavorana luctuosa (Peters, 1871) (Anura, Ranidae) and the resurrection of Rana decorata Mocquard, 1890 from Borneo
Author
Quah, Evan S. H.
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5357 - 1953 & Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, California, USA, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8422 - 3698 & Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, 117377 Singapore, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 0638 - 9198
Author
Grismer, L. Lee
Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, California, USA, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8422 - 3698
Author
Wood Jr., Perry L.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3767-5274
Department of Biological Sciences & Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3767 - 5274
Author
Lim, Kelvin K. P.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, 117377 Singapore, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 0638 - 9198
Author
Imbun, Paul Y.
Museum of Zoology, Research & Education Division, Sabah Parks, 10626 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Author
Anuar, M. S. Shahrul
School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia, https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 0648 - 7318 & Center for Marine and Coastal Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
text
Vertebrate Zoology
2021
2021-03-11
71
75
99
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e60921
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e60921
2625-8498-71-75
1C61F5FE1FA44083B91313FD42157FCA
C87DE9A5FDFA5B5FA5603914E35A1446
Abavorana nazgul Quah, Shahrul Anuar, Grismer, Wood, Siti Azizah & Muin 2017
Gunung Jerai Black Stream-Frog Figs 8G-H
, 9E-F
Rana luctuosa
Sukumaran, J. 2005: 38
Holotype.
An adult male (USMHC 2231) collected on 9 April 2016 from Gunung Jerai, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia (
5°47.719'N
;
100°26.222'E
, 948 m in elevation) by Evan S.H. Quah and David Chan.
Diagnosis.
Abavorana nazgul
can be differentiated from its congeners by the following combination of characters: adult males 41.51-44.1 mm SVL and single adult female 52.51 mm; adult males with SW 7.98-8.70 mm, single adult female SW 9.59 mm; adult males with IOD 3.94-4.48 mm, single adult female IOD 4.94 mm; adult males with TD 3.52-4.01 mm, single adult female TD 4.10 mm; adult males with FL 22.20-23.22 mm, single adult female FL 27.80 mm; nuptial pads absent in males; humeral glands in males small (2.4-2.98 mm) (Table
5
); dorsolateral stripe continuous, orange to yellow in colour; dorsum between dorsolateral stripes black, with or without faint orange or yellow speckles; flanks black, colouration unstratified; distinct cream-colored spots on flanks, dorsal surfaces of limbs, and upper lip; venter grey-brown with prominent light spots on throat and belly, smaller spots on underside of thigh (Fig.
9E-F
;
Quah et al. 2017
).
Distribution.
Abavorana nazgul
is thus far confirmed from the upper elevations of Gunung Jerai, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia (
Quah et al. 2017
). Specimens resembling this species have been photographed at Thale Ban National Park, Satun Province in southern Thailand at approximately 500-600m in elevation around wild boar wallows but are only tentatively identified as
A. cf. nazgul
pending positive evidence (Fig.
8H
).
Figure 8.
Peninsular Malaysian, Thai and Sumatran
Abavorana luctuosa
, and
A. nazgul
; A:
A. luctuosa
from Sungai Durian Forest Reserve, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. B:
A. luctuosa
from Janda Baik, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. C:
A. luctuosa
from Semenyih, Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia. D:
A. luctuosa
from
Fraser's
Hill, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. E:
A. luctuosa
from Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. F:
A. luctuosa
from Sumatra, Indonesia. G:
A. nazgul
(USMHC 2572) from Gunung Jerai, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia. H.
A. cf. nazgul
from Thale Ban National Park, Satun Province, Thailand. (Photographs by Zaharil Dzulkafly [A], Steven Wong [B], Kurt H.P. Guek [C], Evan Quah [D & G], Ian Dugdale [E], Hellen Kurniati [F] & Bunyarit Dechochai [H]).
Figure 9.
Colour pattern comparison among species of the genus
Abavorana
; Dorsum (A,C & E) and venter (B,D & F) in life of
A. luctuosa
(USMHC 2576) (A & B) from Penang Hill, Penang Island, Malaysia,
A. decorata
from Maliau Basin, Sabah, East Malaysia, Borneo (C & D) and
A. nazgul
(USMHC 2233) (E & F) from Gunung Jerai, Kedah, West Malaysia. (Photographs by Evan Quah [A, B, E & F] and Stefan T. Hertwig [C & D]).
Figure 10.
Distribution map of
Abavorana decorata
and
A. luctuosa
in Borneo; Known distribution of
Abavorana decorata
(red) and
A. luctuosa
(blue) in Borneo. Star = type locality.