Description

Description of the holotype. An adult male, 17.5 mm SVL; body robust; head wider than long, HL 98 % of HW; HL 33 % of SVL; dorsal skin finely tuberculate with larger tubercles posteriorly, one enlarged tubercle on each eyelid, snout long (SL 51 % of HL), rounded to nearly truncate in dorsal view, protruding in lateral view, extending past lower jaw. Nares located anterolaterally; canthus rostralis rounded, loreal region concave; IN 41 % of HW; EN 30 % of HL, 77 % of ED. Tympanum distinct anteroventrally; supratympanic fold inconspicuous; choanae small, circular, located anterolaterally. Forelimb slender, skin tuberculate; HAND 23 % of SVL; Finger I as long as Finger II when fingers adpressed; fingers large and flattened; webbing absent on fingers; lateral fringes present, particularly developed post and preaxially on Finger II and preaxially on Finger III; Finger III distinctly swollen dorsally and preaxially, swelling largely extending towards dorsal surface of hand; tip of Finger IV not reaching distal subarticular tubercle on Finger III when fingers adpressed; finger discs expanded, wider than long, about 1.5 times width of digit; width of disc on Finger III 0.6 mm; discs with distinct dorsal scutes; relative lengths of adpressed fingers III> IV> II> I; palmar tubercle large, heart-shaped, 0.75 mm in diameter (larger than disc on Finger III), thenar tubercle elliptic, small (equal to disc on Finger III in maximum diameter), half the size of palmar tubercle, well separated from palmar tubercle; basal subarticular tubercles on fingers and distal subarticular tubercle of Finger III and IV conspicuous; subarticular tubercles on Fingers I and II the largest, followed by subarticular tubercles and basal subarticular tubercle on Finger III. Hind limb robust, skin tuberculate; TL 48 % of SVL; heels in contact when hind limbs are flexed at right angles to the sagittal plane of body; FL 42 % of SVL; relative length of adpressed toes IV> III> V> II> I; Toe I very short, its tip reaching the base of subarticular tubercle on Toe II when toes adpressed; toe discs larger than width of toes. Width of disc on Toe IV 0.8 mm. Foot basally webbed; lateral fringes present on all toes, more developed preaxially on Toes II and III. Toe webbing formula I 1 + ‒ 1 - II 1 + ‒ 1 - III 1 + ‒ 1 + IV 0 ‒ 1 + V. One to three subarticular tubercles on toes as follows: one on Toes I and II, two on Toes III and V, three on Toe IV. Inner metatarsal tubercle protuberant elliptical, 0.5 mm in length, outer metatarsal tubercle round, protuberant, 0.3 mm in diameter. Tarsal keel well defined, tubercle-like and strongly curved at proximal end. Metatarsal fold strong. Colour of holotype in life. Dorsal colour light brown with dark brown blotches occurring on the interorbital region and at mid-body forming an hourglass pattern. Blotches of the same colour also occur laterally along the oblique lateral stripe. Oblique lateral stripe thin, diffuse (particularly anteriorly), formed by white and yellow speckles, extending along the upper eyelid into a diffuse canthal stripe (Fig. 2). Dark brown lateral band below oblique lateral stripe, tapering posteriorly, extending from tip of snout to groin and containing the indistinct dorsal part of tympanum, tapering posteriorly. Upper lip grey with a few small white speckles. Lower flank (below dark brown lateral band) grey with white speckles. Throat light grey, chin yellowish orange, throat and chin covered with minute melanophores, more densely laterally; belly bright yellowish orange, ventral surfaces of thighs and arms yellowish orange. Iris with coper metallic pigmentation and pupil ring uninterrupted by transversal pigmentation (Fig. 2). Upper and lower arm light orange dorsally with a few white speckles. Black glandular spot at junction between lower arm and hand, followed by a grey coloured part of the swollen gland extending on Finger III. Dorsal surfaces of thigh, shank and tarsus light brown with ill-defined dark brown transverse bars and ill-defined dark brown blotches. Paracloacal marks light brown, elongate. Toes and digits with small light blueish speckles dorsally and laterally. Palms and soles dark brown. Colour of holotype in preservative. After four years in 70 % ethanol, colours of the specimen faded and the dorsal colouration now varies from pale brown to grey with darker blotches, the yellowish orange ventral colouration faded to white (Fig. 3). Bluish speckles and orange marks turned white as well. Variation among type specimens. Measurements (range, mean, and standard deviation) of the type series are provided in Table 1. Colour of oblique lateral stripe varies in its proportion of white and yellow. Overall dorsal and lateral coloration and tuberculation may vary with light intensity, time of the day and probably reproductive activity as calling males are dark coloured and highly tuberculate. Dorsal dark brown hourglass pattern may be absent (MNHN _ RA _ 2019.0013, field n ° AF 3426; NZCS-A 1208, field n ° AF 3433). Paracloacal marks sometimes inconspicuous. Throat colouration of female is entirely yellowish orange while the yellowish orange parts are often limited to the chin in males (extent of coloured part of chin varies). Vocal sac, slits and minute black melanophores on throat only observed in males as well as swelling of Finger III. Advertisement call. Five collected specimens calling from the leaf litter were recorded from a distance of about 2 m and at temperatures between 25 ‒ 26 ° C and 98 % relative humidity. Descriptive statistics of call parameters are presented in Table 2. Anomaloglossus vacheri sp. nov. emits trains (call length mean = 0.63, range 0.47 – 0.91 s) of 8 – 18 short notes (note length mean = 0.020 s; range 0.019 – 0.021 s; inter-note interval mean = 0.039 s; range 0.036 – 0.042 s). The spectral structure of the note has a developed harmonic structure and the dominant frequency is 5.25 kHz on average (range 5.11 – 5.35 kHz) with a slight upward modulation (ca. 0.4 kHz) (Fig. 4, Table 2). Larval morphology. The following description is based on two tadpoles at stage 28 and 30 (Fig. 5). Tadpoles correspond to a type 4 tadpole of Orton (1953); exotrophic; body skin smooth; TL 15.00 – 19.06 mm; BL 5.27 – 6.46 mm, 34 – 35 % of TL, 151 – 160 % of BW, 261 – 267 % of BH; BW 135 – 144 % of BH (Table 3); body ovoid, snout round in dorsal and lateral view; eyes positioned and directed laterally; ED 0.49 – 0.61 mm, 55 – 58 % of IOD; IOD smaller than IND; nares frontally positioned and directed laterodorsally; narial opening circular in lateral view; END 0.55 – 0.71 mm. Spiracular tube sinistral, conical, projecting posterodorsally, its tip located at 57 – 59 % of BL posteriorly to snout. Lateral-line system inconspicuous. Caudal musculature highest at its base, tapering posteriorly, terminating at tail tip; tail tip rounded; upper fin originating at junction of body and tail, gradually increasing in height to about 3 / 4 of tail; UTF 47 – 48 % of TMH; LTF 46 – 49 % of TMH; MTH 13 – 16 % of TL (Fig. 5, Table 3). Mouth ventral, oral disc strongly emarginated, width 1.27 – 1.89 mm. Labial teeth long, in single rows, LTRF 2 (2) / 3. A- 2 consisting of two short rows, separated by a large and deep gap; P- 1 not interrupted. Marginal papillae long, of equal size on each labium, tapered, blunt-tipped, in a single row, evenly distributed; median gap on upper labium approximately 2 / 3 the length of A- 1; jaw sheaths large, serrated, lower jaw sheath broadly V-shaped. In life, the body is dark grey with abundant golden flecks, particularly on dorsum, except the loreal and postocular regions that are pink. Golden flecks become scarce ventrally. Posteriorly, dark grey coloration fades and tail becomes translucent. The tadpole of Anomaloglossus vacheri sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of Anomaloglossus of the stepheni group that are endotrophic (A. stepheni and A. baeobatrachus) by the presence of a functional mouth with marginal papillae and labial teeth. It can be distinguished from the tadpole of A. mitaraka and A. saramaka sp. nov. by its less dense pigmentation particularly ventrally and by a spiracle located more anteriorly.

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Aromobatidae

Genus: Anomaloglossus

Species: Anomaloglossus vacheri Fouquet, Jairam, Ouboter & Kok, 2020