Nanorana aenea (Smith, 1922)

Nguyen, Tan Van, Brakels, Peter, Maury, Nathanael, Sudavanh, Somchit, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Idiiatullina, Sabira, Lorphengsy, Sengvilay, Inkhavilay, Khamla, Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon & Poyarkov, Nikolay A., 2020, New herpetofaunal observations from Laos based on photo records, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 248) 14 (2), pp. 218-249 : 221-222

Nanorana aenea (Smith, 1922)

Doi Chang Spiny Frog ( Fig. 3A)

One individual of N. aenea was observed by P. Brakels and P. Pawangkhanant on 16 July 2019 on the northern slope of Phou Samsoum Mountain, Mork District , Xiangkhouang Province (19°08.494’N, 103°46.867’E; elevation 2,070 m asl) .

Morphological characters of this individual from Xiangkhouang Province agreed well with the descriptions of Taylor (1962), Dubois and Ohler (2005), and Pham et al. (2012). The photographed individual ( Fig. 3A) agrees with the diagnosis of N. aenea for the following characters: medium body size, rather slender; snout rounded, very slightly protruding; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region slightly concave; eye large, pupil horizontally oval; tympanum distinct, supratympanic fold present; tips of fingers and toes without discs; dorsal surface smooth with small ridges on flank; dorsolateral folds present, not prominent, narrow, continuous until the rear of back; ventral surface smooth; coloration of dorsum dark brown with several darker bands between eyes; tympanum covered with dark markings; ventral surface yellowish with brown marbling and numerous darker spots on margins; foot webs marbled with brown and cream; iris brown.

Ecological notes. This individual was found at ca. 2000 h on the ground near a small stream. The surrounding habitat was polydominant high-elevation, broad-leaved montane forest.

Distribution. In Laos, this species has been recorded only from Houaphan Province (Teynié et al. 2014). This is the second record from the country as well as the first from Xiangkhouang Province. Elsewhere, this species has been reported from China, Vietnam, and northern Thailand ( Frost 2020).