Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species
Author
Biju, S. D.
Author
Bossuyt, Franky
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2009
2009-02-28
155
2
374
444
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x
journal article
10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x
0024-4082
5445358
PHILAUTUS MARKI
SP. NOV.
(
FIGS 2
,
46B
,
47A–D
,
48
;
TABLE 2
)
Type material:
Holotype
,
BNHS 4537
, an adult male,
SVL
22.8 mm
, collected by
SDB
on
20 July 2000
from
Kaikatti-Nelliyampathi
,
Palakkad
,
Kerala
,
India
;
paratypes
,
BNHS 4538
and
BNHS 4539
,
two adult
males, and
BNHS 4540
and
BNHS 4541
,
two adult
females collected by
SDB
on
23 June 2006
from the same locality as the holotype.
Other material studied:
SDB 028
C, an adult male, collected along with the
holotype
(
Table 2
)
.
Diagnosis:
Philautus marki
sp. nov.
can be distinguished from known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) small male adult snout–vent length (SVL 22.2 ±
0.7 mm
,
N
= 4); (2) snout pointed in dorsal view; (3) snout longer than the horizontal diameter of the eye; (4) skin of dorsum with small horny spinules; (5) horny ridges between the eyes, arranged in a triangle directed posteriorly; (6) flank and groin light grey with minute white marbling.
In general appearance, the new species could be confused with
P. griet
and
P. tinniens
.
Philautus marki
sp. nov.
differs from
P. griet
by its pointed snout in dorsal view (vs. snout oval), snout longer than the horizontal diameter of the eye, SL 3.3 ±
0.1 mm
vs. EL 2.7 ±
0.2 mm
,
N
= 4, male, (vs. snout length subequal to horizontal diameter of the eye, SL 2.5 ±
0.1 mm
vs. EL 2.6 ±
0.2 mm
,
N
= 5, male);
P. marki
sp. nov.
differs from
P. tinniens
by its pointed snout in dorsal view (vs. oval snout), shank longer than thigh length, ShL 10.8 ±
0.3 mm
vs. TL 9.5 ±
0.3 mm
,
N
= 4, male (vs. shank subequal to thigh length, ShL 8.5 ±
0.7 mm
vs. TL 9.0 ±
0.6 mm
,
N
= 3), posterior surface of thighs light grey without prominent markings (vs. thighs dark brown with variable grey patches), presence of horny ridge between eyes (vs. horny ridge absent).
Description of the
holotype
(all measurements in mm):
Small frog (SVL 22.8) with a slender body (
Figs 47A
,
48
); head length (HL 7.4) subequal to width (HW 7.2; MN 6.0; MFE 5.1; MBE 2.3); outline of snout in dorsal view pointed (
Fig. 47A
), slightly protruding, snout length (SL 3.4) longer than the horizontal diameter of eye (EL 2.9); canthus rostralis sharp, loreal region acutely concave (
Fig. 47B
); distance between posterior margins of eyes (IBE 6.2) 1.5 times the distance between anterior margins of eyes (IFE 4.0); tympanum (TYD 1.2) distinct; supratympanic fold distinct, from back of eyes to shoulder; tongue with a lingual papilla.
Forelimb (FLL 4.5) shorter than hand (HAL 6.3; TFL 4.0); subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, single (
Fig. 47C
); prepollex distinct, oval; supernumerary tubercles prominently present on all fingers, especially on palm (
Fig. 47C
); nuptial pad absent.
Hindlimbs moderately long; shank (ShL 10.6) longer than thigh (TL 9.4), distance from base of internal metatarsal tubercle to tip of toe IV (FOL 9.0); distance from heel to tip of toe IV (TFOL 14.5); webbing small (
Fig. 47D
), hardly reaching up to second subarticular tubercle on inside of toe IV, and reaching above the second subarticular tubercle on outside of toe IV; subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, simple, IV3 weakly developed; supernumerary tubercles present on toes (
Fig. 47D
).
Skin of snout shagreened, between eyes shagreened to granular, horny ridges between the eyes, arranged in a triangle directed posteriorly (
Fig. 47A
), upper eyelids, side of head and back with horny spinules; flanks shagreened to granular, dorsal part of thighs shagreened, shanks with horny spinules, tarsus shagreened; throat weakly shagreened, chest, belly, and ventral side of thighs granular.
Colour of
holotype
:
In life: dorsum dark grey, with a brownish concave stripe running from behind the eye (
Fig. 48
), a brownish stripe between the eyes, upper eyelids light grey, loreal and tympanic regions light greyish brown; groin light grey, minutely marbled with white; iris golden brown; limbs light brown with light-brown cross bands, both elbows brownish; posterior surface of thighs light grey; ventral side light grey.
In preservation: dorsum light-brownish grey with a pair of dark-grey concave stripes running from behind the eye to half of the dorsum, a light-grey stripe between the eyes forming a triangular grey-coloured snout; limbs light brown with dark-brown cross bands; both elbows light grey; ventral side uniform creamy white with dark-grey spots, especially on the throat.
Variation:
Measurements of
six specimens
including the
type
series are given in
Table 2
. There is little colour variation, but the concentration of dorsal markings and cross bands on limbs is less in
BNHS 4540
and
BNHS 4541
.
Etymology:
This species is named after Mark Wilkinson of the Natural History Museum, London, in great appreciation of his contribution to Indian amphibian research, and his generous support of SDB’s amphibian research.
Distribution and natural history:
Philautus marki
sp. nov.
is presently known only from the type locality: Kaikatti (
Fig. 46B
,
Table 1
). The
holotype
and
two male
paratypes
were collected during a rainy late evening from leaves about 1-m high near disturbed evergreen forest patches. The
two female
paratypes
were collected from the ground on the surface of dead leaves.