Pristimantis chocolatebari, Rivera-Correa & González-Durán & Saldarriaga-Gómez & Duarte-Marín, 2021

Rivera-Correa, Mauricio, González-Durán, Gustavo A., Saldarriaga-Gómez, Ana M. & Duarte-Marín, Sebastián, 2021, Biodiversity in the Andean Mountains: Two new rain frogs of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the northern Cordillera Central in Colombia, Zootaxa 5040 (3), pp. 334-364 : 338-344

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5040.3.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A744BBD-5A6F-4968-A77E-40B525E9CB9D
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B15EB737-FFD7-8C4D-3DF9-FE02FB4EFE62
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pristimantis chocolatebari
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pristimantis chocolatebari sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3A–B View FIGURE 3 , 4A–B View FIGURE 4 , 5 View FIGURE 5 )

Holotype. MHUA-A 12212 , adult male from Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of Valdivia, vereda San Fermín, “La Selva” Natural Reserve (7.094899, -75.482269; 1850 m a.s.l.), collected on April 22, 2018 by Khristian Venegas, Eliza Patiño, Diego Botero, Andrés Castaño and Mauricio Rivera-Correa. GoogleMaps

Paratype. MHUA-A 12211 , subadult female collected with the holotype .

Diagnosis. We assigned the new species to the genus Pristimantis based on our phylogenetic results ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The new species is characterized by a combination of (1) skin texture of dorsum smooth, venter coarsely areolate; dorsolateral fold absent; discoidal fold present, nearly reaches the bases of the hind limbs; (2) tympanum rounded, dorsolaterally directed; tympanic membrane partially translucent; tympanic annulus evident, supratympanic fold differentiated, which extends from posterior corner of orbit along upper edge of temporal region and distinctly curved toward the insertion of the arm; dark supratympanic stripe absent; horizontal diameter of tympanum 35–37% of eye diameter; (3) snout moderate in length, with small rostral papilla, acuminate in dorsal view, rounded or slightly protruding and inclined posteroventrally in lateral profile ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ); canthus rostralis subtly concave in dorsal view, rounded in lateral view; (4) upper eyelids bearing a small tubercle, narrower than IOD (41.6–52.9% IOD); cranial crests absent; (5) Choanae small, ovoid, not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary arch; dentigerous process of the vomer oblique, positioned posterior to level of choanae moderately separated, with 6–8 teeth; (6) males with vocal slits and median subgular vocal sac; nuptial pads absent white and small testis; (7) finger I shorter than finger II; discs and circumferential grooves present on all fingers; discs broadly expanded and elliptical, except on finger I, which is round; (8) fingers with narrow lateral fringes; palmar tubercle divided; thenar tubercle oval, twice wider than palmar tubercle; supernumerary tubercles low, restricted to the proximal segments of the digits; subarticular tubercles low, with rounded base and larger than supernumerary tubercles; hyperdistals tubercles absent; (9) antebrachial and ulnar tubercles present; (10) outer tarsal tubercles present and heel tubercle absent; inner tarsal tubercles; inner tarsal fold absent; (11) oval inner metatarsal tubercle, two-to-three times as long as round outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles small and low, restricted to the proximal segments of digits III–IV; (12) toes with narrow lateral fringes; toe webbing absent; fifth toe longer than third; toe III reaches to distal part of penultimate subarticular tubercle of toe IV; toe V reaches to the proximal part of distal subarticular tubercle of toe IV; (13) in life ( Fig. 3A–B View FIGURE 3 ), dorsum light brown to cream and dorsum with a wide light band; well-defined canthal stripe; inter-nostrils area with pigmentation dark brown; inter-orbital bar brown; small markings scattered all over the body; throat cream with spots; belly with iridophores; posterior surfaces of thighs and legs yellow with dark brown spots; golden iris with fine dark brown marks and reticulation and red-wine medial band; (14) adults small, SVL in male 22.8; SVL in subadult female 27.3.

Description of the Holotype. Adult male, in good state of preservation and with the left leg cut it below the knee and preserved as tissue sample for molecular studies. Head subtly narrower than the body, head width 39.0% of SVL; slightly wider than longer, head width is 104% of head length. Snout moderate in length ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ), acuminate in dorsal view and rounded in profile. Head length 37.2% of SVL. Snout to eye distance 37.6% of head length; canthus rostralis in dorsal view is subtly concave, in transverse cross section is rounded; loreal region is slightly concave, lips not flared. Nostrils directed laterally; protuberant, inter-nostrils area slightly concave in dorsal view. Interorbital area flat, as broad as upper eyelid; frontoparietal smooth and cranial crests absent. Upper eyelid bearing small one subconical tubercle, eye diameter 76.5% regarding the distance between the anterior margins of eyes. Supratympanic fold present and differentiated, subtly covers dorsally the tympanum, which extends from posterior corner of orbit along upper edge of temporal region and distinctly curved toward the insertion of the arm; tympanum size is 35.9% of eye diameter; tympanum superficial, rounded, and dorsolaterally directed; tympanic annulus visible; one postrictal tubercle subconical. Choanae is small, rounded, and not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary arch. Oval and pronounced vomerine odontophores, posteromedial to choanae, moderately separated, bearing six and seven vomerine teeth. Tongue longer than wide, posterior edge notched, posterior 2/3 not adherent to the floor of the mouth. Skin of dorsum is smooth, dorsolateral folds absent. Flanks smooth without tubercles. Groin and throat smooth, venter coarsely areolate. Discoidal fold nearly reaches the bases of the hind limbs.

Forearm slender; radio-ulna length 25.5% of SVL; hand length longer than radio-ulna length, hand length 28.5% of SVL. Upper surface of limbs is smooth with a scattered small tubercle, with absent transversal folds over tibia. Forearm on outer edge bearing three small subconical ulnar tubercles. Elbow tubercle absent. Palmar tubercle partially divided, twice wider than the oval thenar tubercle. Supernumerary palmar tubercles present (two), small and low, restricted to the proximal segments of digits. Subarticular tubercles low, rounded and subconical; hyperdistals tubercles absent. Fingers bearing lateral fringes, and truncate disks. Pad on thumb slightly wider than digit above the pad. The pads on fingers II–IV broadly wider than digits, the disk fingers III and IV nearly as large as tympanum, ventral pads on fingers are broader than long. Relative lengths of fingers I <II <IV <III.

Hind limbs moderately thick, tibia length is 51.3% of SVL; tubercle on heel and three small tubercles on outer edge of tarsus. Inner tarsal fold present but diffuse. Foot length is 43.8% of SVL. Inner metatarsal tubercle oval twice as long as wide, 2–3 times the size of outer metatarsal rounded conical tubercle. Supernumerary plantar tubercles are small and low (three), restricted to the proximal segments of digits III–IV. Subarticular tubercles rounded, nonconical. Toes bearing narrow lateral fringes, toes lack webbing. The pads on toes wider than digits and pads on toes IV and V twice wider than digits; ventral pads truncate, wider than long. Outer pads on toes slightly narrower than the pads on outer fingers. Relative lengths of toes I <II <III <V <IV. Tip of toe V reaches to the proximal part of distal subarticular tubercle of toe IV, tip of toe III reaches to distal part of penultimate subarticular tubercle of toe IV (Appendix 3).

Coloration of the holotype. In life, Pristimantis chocolatebari present the headlight brown or yellow cream that extends to the medial region of the dorsum. The posterior area of the dorsum to the cloaca region, loreal region, and flanks are darker brown. Canthal stripe and dorsolateral stripe intense brown. Throat and venter yellow-cream, throat with small brown spots, undersides of the thighs yellow with brown spots. Axilla, cream with brown spots, anterior surfaces of thighs, ventral surfaces of the shank and concealed surface or tarsus light-yellow with brown spots and some brown flecks, posterior surface of thighs yellow with fine brown spots. Light brown digits with small brown spots. Iris, light brown with dark brown reticulations, fine yellow and gold spots with medial red-wine stripe and sky blue-sclera.

Measurements of the holotype (in millimeters). SVL: 22.8; HL: 8.5; HW: 8.9; ED: 3.9; END: 3.2; NSD: 1.2; IND: 2.1; AMD: 5.1; TD: 1.4; FAL: 4.7; FAB: 1.4; HAL: 6.5; THL: 11.4; TL: 11.7; TAL: 6.3; FL: 10.0; TFD: 1.2 and FTD: 1.1.

Variation. The body in the female MHUA-A 12211 is light brown all over the body, present small scattered tubercles in the dorsal region and interorbital bar pale brown (laterally dark brown in MHUA-A 12212 ) ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A- B). The hidden part of the thighs and groin, yellow (light yellow in MHUA-A 12212 ). Throat cream (light brown in MHUA-A 12212 ). Female with belly cream (white in male with notable iridophores). Female with iris uniform brown and copper (male reticulated copper). Canthal and supratympanic stipe are slightly visible in the female (conspicuous in the male). Tympanic annulus is slightly more pronounced in the female MHUA-A 12211 , and it is larger than the holotype: SVL: 27.3; HL: 12.1; HW: 11.0; ED: 4.0; END: 3.9; NSD: 1.4; IND: 2.6; AMD: 6.2; TD: 1.6; FAL: 6.0; FAB: 2.5; HAL: 8.1; THL: 14.0; TL: 14.4; TAL: 7.0; FL: 12.4; TFD: 1.7 and FTD: 1.6 .

Etymology. The scientific name chocolatebari is the Latinization of the compound name “chocolate bar”. With this name, we honor a United States chocolate company, which generously donated resources for the expansion and protection of the cloud forests of the northern Colombian Andes, allowing the conservation of the type locality of the new species. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Comparisons with other species. Pristimantis chocolatebari differs from other species closely related by the triangular shape of the tooth processes of the vomer (oval in P. actinolaimus , P. platychilus , P. permixtus , P thymelensis , P. supernatis and P. eriphus ), with 6–8 teeths ( P. platychilus 3–4, P. permixtus 1–3, P. thymelensis 2–4, P. eriphus 2–3), dorsum smooth (shagreen in P. actinolaimus , P. fetosus , P. permixtus and P. eriphus ; glandular with warts in P. thymelensis and P. chloronotus ), large protruding snout (rounded in P. platychilus , P. actinolaimus , P. fetosus , P. permixtus , P. thymelensis , P. supernatis and P. eriphus ), belly with iridophores (absent in other species), the groin is uniformly pale yellow and the labial stripe is absent (present in P. actinolaimus , P. platychilus , P. fetosus , P. permixtus and P. supernatis ), presence of vocal slits and vocal sac, although hardly distinguishable (absent in P. actinolaimus , P. platychilus , P. fetosus , P. permixtus and P. supernatis ). Additional differences among species are summarized in Table 1.

Distribution and natural history. Pristimantis chocolatebari is currently known from “La Selva” Natural Reserve, municipality of Valdivia, department of Antioquia, eastern slope from the northern Cordillera Central in Colombia, between 1700 and 1860 m a.s.l., approximately. The individuals of P. chocolatebari were found perching in shrubs one to two meters high in a secondary forest and open areas with regenerating process. The acoustic activity, courtship, or amplexus was not observed. However, we recorded a clutch (MHUA-L300, identified through DNA sequences) that consisted of 70 eggs (14 non-fertile) with a diameter between 5.4 and 6.3 mm and inside a bromeliad on the ground, just at the edge of the forest ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). The new species was found in sympatry with other rain frogs: P. carylae sp. nov., P. erythropleura , P. jaguensis , P. lemur , P. aff. paisa and P. aff. palmeri .