Leptobrachella eos (Ohler, Wollenberg, Grosjean, Hendrix, Vences, Ziegler & Dubois, 2011)

Wu 1, Yun-He, Chen, Jin-Min, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Yothawut, Chatchai, Karuno, Alex P., Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon & Che, Jing, 2022, Distribution extension of Leptobrachella eos (Ohler, Wollenberg, Grosjean, Hendrix, Vences, Ziegler & Dubois, 2011): first record from Thailand, Herpetozoa 35, pp. 25-32 : 25

Leptobrachella eos (Ohler, Wollenberg, Grosjean, Hendrix, Vences, Ziegler & Dubois, 2011)

Specimen examined.

Adult female (AUP 00377) collected on 05 October 2018 by the Chatmongkon Suwannapoom and Parinya Pawangkhanant from Chom poo Phuka nature trail, Nan Province, Bo Kluea District, Thailand ( 19.0181°N, 100.9731°E, 1300 m elevation).

Morphological description

(measurements in mm; provided in Table 3 ). Morphological characters of the specimen from Thailand agreed well with the original description of Ohler et al. (2011). Adult female with SVL 34.2 mm; head length (HL 13.6 mm, 39.7% of SVL) slightly longer than width (HW 12.1 mm, 35.5% of SVL); snout slightly protruding, its length (SL 5.3 mm, 15.5% of SVL) longer than horizontal diameter of eye (EL 4.4 mm, 12.8% of SVL); canthus rostralis rounded, loreal region concave; interorbital space flat, larger (IOD 4.0 mm, 11.6% of SVL) than width of upper eyelid (UEW 2.8 mm, 8.2% of SVL) and internarial distance (IN 3.6 mm, 10.6% of SVL); snout longer than eye diameter (SL/ED 120.5%); tympanum distinct (TD 4.0 mm), rounded, about half eye diameter (ED 4.4 mm); vomerine teeth absent; supratympanic fold distinct; pupil vertical (Fig. 3 ).

Forelimbs slender; lower arm length (LAL 22.0 mm, 47.3% of SVL) shorter than hand length (HAL 10.1 mm, 29.6% of SVL); relative finger lengths: I<II<IV<III; tips of all fingers slightly enlarged; no webbing between fingers; subarticular tubercles distinct, big; two metacarpal tubercles, inner metacarpal tubercle (IPTL 1.5 mm, 4.4% of SVL) almost equal to outer metacarpal tubercle relatively (OPTL 1.6 mm, 4.6% of SVL).

Hindlimbs long, tibia (TL 16.4 mm) about half SVL and shorter and foot (FL 23.5 mm); relative length of toes: I<II<III<V<IV; tibiotarsal articulation reaching the nostril when the leg is stretched forward; heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; tips of toes rounded and not swollen; rudimentary webbing between toes; subarticular tubercles distinct, rounded; inner metatarsal tubercle distinct and oval (IMTL 2.0 mm, 5.7% of SVL), outer metatarsal tubercle distinct (OMTL 2.2 mm, 6.3% of SVL).

Dorsal skin relatively smooth, with small tubercles; side of head and dorsum shagreened; tiny warts scattered on flanks; supratympanic fold prominent, running from posterior corner of eye towards axilla; dorsal parts of limbs: forelimbs shagreened; thigh and shank with glandular warts; tarsus smooth; femoral glands and pectoral gland distinct, oval; axillary glands indistinct; ventrolateral glands forming continuous white line on flanks.

In life, dorsal surface brown, with reddish-brown W-shaped marking on scapular region; distinct reverse-triangle black marking between eyes; tympanic region brown gray; dorsal surfaces of elbow to upper arm with distinctive reddish-brown coloration; transverse dark-brown bars present on dorsal surface of the limbs; iris distinctly bicolored, bright orange-red in upper half and silvery-white in lower half (Fig. 3 ).

In preservation. Dorsum of the body and hindlimbs light brownish gray; transverse bars on the limbs distinct, and dark-brown patterns; marks and spots on the back are indistinct; ventral surface of the body is yellowish brown with brown marbling on the sides and chest; axillary glands, femoral, pectoral and ventrolateral glands fade to grayish white.

Ecological notes.

Leptobrachella eos was found along a rocky stream in Montane Forest, with dense vegetation of Wild Banana ( Musa acuminata ) and Bamboo ( Cephalostachyum sp.) (Fig. 4 ). The male was found calling mainly hidden under leaf litter.

Distribution.

Leptobrachella eos is currently known in Phongsaly, Bolikhamxay, Oudomxai, and Xiasomboun Provinces, Laos; Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa, and Son La Provinces, northwestern Vietnam; Yunnan province, China and Nan province, Thailand.

Figures

Figure 3. Dorsolateral view and lateral view of head of L. eos (photos taken by Parinya Pawangkhanant).

Figure 4. Habitat at collection site of L. eos in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand (photos taken by Parinya Pawangkhanant)