Alcalus mariae

Last updated

Alcalus mariae
Alcalus mariae 2011 stamp of the Philippines.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ceratobatrachidae
Genus: Alcalus
Species:
A. mariae
Binomial name
Alcalus mariae
(Inger, 1954)
Synonyms

Micrixalus mariaeInger, 1954 [2]
Ingerana mariae(Inger, 1954)

Contents

Alcalus mariae, common name Mary's frog [3] or Palawan eastern frog, [1] [4] is a species of frog in the family Ceratobatrachidae. It is endemic to the Palawan Island, the Philippines, and only known from its type locality, Mount Balabag, [4] in the Mantalingajan mountain range. [1] The specific name refers to Mary Lee Inger née Ballew, first wife of Robert F. Inger who formally described the species in 1954. [2] [3]

Description

The type series of Alcalus mariae consists of two males measuring 32 and 33 mm (1.3 and 1.3 in) in snout–vent length. They are stocky frogs with depressed, broad head and rounded snout. Tympanum is visible though rim hidden by skin. Tips of digits are expanded into large, round disks. Legs are stout and relatively short. Toes are webbed and have disks similar in size to those on fingers. Skin of all dorsal surfaces is coarsely shagreen. Chest and belly are strongly rugose but gular region is less so. Tubercles are present laterally. [2]

Habitat and conservation

The natural habitat of Alcalus mariae is lower montane forest where it occurs in the forest floor leaf-litter. Habitat loss is the most important threat to this species, although the area of type locality is generally well protected. [1] The frog is the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species in the Philippines, as listed by the Zoological Society of London in their EDGE species analysis, where it ranked 75th out of the thousands of amphibian species known to humanity. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Palawan toadlet or white-striped flathead toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Palawan, the Philippines.

<i>Pelophryne misera</i> Species of amphibian

Pelophryne misera, the black flathead toad or Kinabalu dwarf toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to northwestern Borneo and known from Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia), although its distribution is likely to be broader and might extend to Kalimantan (Indonesia). It was first described from specimens collected from Mount Kinabalu.

<i>Insuetophrynus</i> Genus of amphibians

Insuetophrynus is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Rhinodermatidae. The sole species is Insuetophrynus acarpicus, also known as Barrio's frog. It is endemic to Chile and only known from few localities on the Valdivian Coast Range between Chanchán in the Los Ríos Region in the south and Queule and Colequal Alto in the north; the fourth locality is Mehuín, which is the type locality. The altitudinal range is 50–486 m (164–1,594 ft) asl.

Leptobrachella palmata is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Borneo, and only known from its type locality in Lipaso Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. It has not been found in the nearby Gunung Mulu National Park, despite many surveys there. Common names palm Borneo frog and palm dwarf litter frog have been coined for it.

Glyphoglossus smithi, also known as Smith's squat frog or Smith's burrowing frog, is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. However, it is likely to occur more widely than currently known and be present in Brunei and Indonesia. The specific name smithi honours Dr Harrison Willard Smith, an American scientist who collected the holotype from the Limbang River district.

Kalophrynus subterrestris is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It endemic to Borneo where it is known from Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia), although it is also presumed to be present in Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Brunei. Common names burrowing grainy frog and Labang sticky frog have been coined for this species.

Oreophryne anulata is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Philippines and is known from Mindanao, Biliran, Siargao, and Leyte; it probably occurs in some smaller, intervening islands too. Common names Mindanao cross frog and Davao cross frog have been proposed for it; the latter in apparent reference to its type locality, "Davao", even though it probably is in error.

<i>Limnonectes palavanensis</i> Species of frog

Limnonectes palavanensis is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in the Palawan Island and in Borneo. The species shows paternal care, a relatively rare trait in frogs.

<i>Meristogenys jerboa</i> Species of frog

Meristogenys jerboa is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to western Sarawak in Borneo. Common names western torrent frog, Matang torrent frog, and Gunther's Borneo frog have been coined for it. Many cryptic species have been separated from this species. Based on mitochondrial DNA, current "true" Meristogenys jerboa still includes two major lineages. However, because the lineages occur in sympatry and do not differ in morphology, Shimada and colleagues elected to treat them as intraspecific variants.

Meristogenys kinabaluensis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and is found in Sabah, Sarawak (Malaysia), and Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name refers to its type locality, Mount Kinabalu.

The small-headed frog or tiny oriental frog is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it is found on Mindanao, Basilan, and in the Sulu Archipelago.

Ptychadena ingeri is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is endemic to the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is known from the Garamba National Park. It is likely to occur more widely, possibly reaching into South Sudan. It is named after Robert F. Inger, an American zoologist from the Field Museum of Natural History. Common name Inger's grassland frog has been coined for it.

Spiny tree frog Species of amphibian

The spiny tree frog is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Philippines and occurs on Mindanao, Leyte, Bohol, and Basilan, possibly wider.

Philautus worcesteri is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Mindanao, the Philippines.

Ceratobatrachidae Family of amphibians

The Ceratobatrachidae are a family of frogs found in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, New Guinea, and the Admiralty, Bismarck, and Solomon Islands.

"Hylarana" attigua is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, the "true frogs". The exact genus-level placement of this species is uncertain because it was not included in the revision of the genus Hylarana that saw what was then very broadly defined genus split into several distinct genera, with relatively few remaining in Hylaranasensu stricto. It is found in central and south Vietnam, eastern Cambodia, and southern Laos. The specific name attigua is derived from Latin attiguus meaning "neighbor". It refers to the similarity of this species to Indosylvirana milleti. Common name similar frog has been coined for this species.

<i>Chalcorana megalonesa</i> Species of amphibian

Chalcorana megalonesa is a species of true frog in the family Ranidae, the "true frogs". It is endemic to Borneo and is known from both Malaysia and Indonesia (Kalimantan). It was split off from Rana chalconota in 2009 by Robert Inger and colleagues, along with a number of other species. Common name large white-lipped frog has been coined for it.

<i>Alcalus</i> Genus of amphibians

Alcalus is a small genus of frogs in the family Ceratobatrachidae. It is the only member of the subfamily Alcalinae. Its sister taxon is Ceratobatrachinae. Common name Alcala's dwarf mountain frogs has been proposed for the genus. They are found in Palawan Island, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. They prefer semi-aquatic microhabitats.

Alcalus rajae, sometimes known as king dwarf mountain frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratobatrachidae, subfamily Alcalinae. It is endemic to Kalimantan, Borneo (Indonesia), and known from its type locality in the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park, as well as the Gunung Penrissen Nature Reserve, both in the West Kalimantan province, and from the Meratus Protected Forest in the South Kalimantan province. The specific name rajae refers to the type locality: Bukit Raya is the highest mountain in Kalimantan, getting its name from the Indonesian word raya, signifying the majestic size of the peak. It also alludes to the relatively large size of this species relative to its (then) congeners.

Alcalus sariba, also known as Saribau eastern frog or Saribau dwarf mountain frog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Alcalinae, family Ceratobatrachidae. It is endemic to Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, where it is known from a small number of locations, including the eponymous Mount Saribau. It has often been included in Alcalus baluensis, but is now considered a distinct species. The two species are similar but Alcalus sariba is larger.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2018. Alcalus mariae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T41226A114911328. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T41226A114911328.en. Downloaded on 21 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Inger, Robert F. (1954). "Systematics and zoogeography of Philippine amphibia". Fieldiana: Zoology. 33 (4): 183–531.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. 1 2 Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 137. ISBN   978-1-907807-44-2.
  4. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Alcalus mariae (Inger, 1954)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 1 August 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. "Palawan Eastern Frog".