Asterophrys leucopus

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Asterophrys leucopus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Asterophrys
Species:
A. leucopus
Binomial name
Asterophrys leucopus
Richards  [ fr ], Johnston, and Burton, 1994 [2]

Asterophrys leucopus is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to northwestern Papua New Guinea where it is known from three locations: Stolle Mountain in the Sandaun Province—its type locality, and Hunstein Mountains in the East Sepik Province and the Bewani Mountains in the West Sepik Province. [3]

Contents

Description

Asterophrys leucopus are moderately large microhylids. The three males in the type series measure 43–47 mm (1.7–1.9 in) in snout–vent length. A distinctive feature of these frogs, shared with the congeneric Asterophrys turpicola , is their extremely broad head, almost half of snout–vent length. The body is robust with short limbs. The colour pattern is mottled light and dark pinkish brown, with irregular black patches on dorsal and lateral surfaces; this gives these frogs a good camouflage against wet moss of their habitat. Males call from exposed positions; the call consists of a series of rapidly repeated introductory notes followed by slower terminal notes. [2]

Habitat and conservation

Asterophrys leucopus inhabit mossy rainforests [1] at elevations of 950–1,600 m (3,120–5,250 ft) above sea level. [1] [4] No threats to this species have been identified. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Asterophrys</i> Genus of amphibians

Asterophrys is a genus of microhylid frogs found in New Guinea. Their common name is New Guinea bush frogs, although this name may also specifically refer to Asterophrys turpicola.

<i>Choerophryne</i> Genus of amphibians

Choerophryne is a genus of microhylid frogs, commonly known as Torricelli mountain frogs, endemic to New Guinea. These frogs are small, with the body length measured from snout to vent between 11 and 23 mm.

<i>Choerophryne brunhildae</i> Species of frog

Choerophryne brunhildae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the Adelbert Range, the Bewani Mountains, and the Hunstein Mountains.

Choerophryne darlingtoni is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and found in the New Guinea Highlands. The specific name darlingtoni honors P. Jackson Darlington Jr., an American evolutionary biologist and zoogeographer. Common name Darlington's rainforest frog has been coined for it.

Choerophryne fafniri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from the north-western slopes of Mount Giluwe and south-east of Mount Hagen in the Southern Highlands Province.

Choerophryne gudrunae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from its type locality near Kowat in the Adelbert Range, Madang Province.

Choerophryne siegfriedi is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is only known from its type locality, Mount Elimbari in the Simbu Province.

Choerophryne swanhildae is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the Hagen and Kubor ranges.

<i>Asterophrys turpicola</i> Species of frog

Asterophrys turpicola is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is widespread in New Guinea and found in both West Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea, although it appears to be absent from the eastern half of Papua New Guinea. It also occurs on the island of Yapen, off the north-western coast of New Guinea. The species is known for its aggressive behaviour: it can attack and bite viciously.

Austrochaperina adamantina is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and occurs in the Torricelli and Bewani Mountains in the West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. The specific name adamantina is Latin for "like a diamond" and refers to Jared Diamond, credited as the collector of the holotype and "great many other valuable herpetological specimens from Papua New Guinea".

<i>Copiula derongo</i> Species of frog

Copiula derongo is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and found in both Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The specific name derongo refers to its type locality, the village of Derongo in the Western Province. Based on molecular evidence, it was transferred from Austrochaperina to Copiula in 2016.

Choerophryne allisoni is a tiny species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and only known from its type locality, Mount Sisa in the Southern Highlands Province. The specific name allisoni honours Allen Allison, an American herpetologist. Common name Allison's mountain frog has been coined for this species.

Cophixalus balbus is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. Molecular data suggest that it might belong to the genus Oreophryne. It is known from the vicinity of its type locality in Yapen island, Papua Province, Indonesia, as well as from the Hunstein Mountains and Bewani and Torricelli Mountains in Papua New Guinea.

<i>Cophixalus shellyi</i> Species of frog

Cophixalus shellyi is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and occurs in the New Guinea Highlands as well as in the Adelbert Range and on the Huon Peninsula. The specific name shellyi honors Father Otto Schellenberger ("Shelly"), an American missionary and former professor in mathematics who collected the type series.

Copiula pipiens is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is known from its type locality, Wirui near Wewak in the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, and from the island of Yapen, off the north-western coast of New Guinea, in the West Papua province of Indonesia. The Yapen population might represent a different but closely related species. Common name Wirui Mehely frog has been coined for this species.

Oreophryne biroi is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and occurs on the north coast from Madang Province in Papua New Guinea to the Cyclops Mountains in Papua province, Western New Guinea (Indonesia). The specific name biroi honours Lajos Bíró, a Hungarian zoologist and ethnographer who collected the holotype. Common name New Guinea cross frog has been coined for it.

Aphantophryne parkeri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the north coast of New Guinea and only known from Matapan and the Bewani Mountains in the West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, and from Sentani in the Papua Province, Western New Guinea (Indonesia). This species was formerly included in the genus Oreophryne, but was in 2017 moved to Aphantophryne based on molecular data. The specific name parkeri honours Hampton Wildman Parker, an English zoologist and herpetologist. Common name Parker's cross frog has been coined for it.

Papurana volkerjane is a species of true frogs, family Ranidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and is known from its type locality, the eastern slopes of the Wondiwoi Mountains, from the Fakfak Mountains, and from the Bewani and Torricelli Mountainss in the West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Rainer Günther named the species after his son Volker and daughter-in-law Jane.

Nyctimystes purpureolatus is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to New Guinea and is known from its type locality on the Tiri River, a small tributary of the Mamberamo River in West Papua, Indonesia, and from three locations in West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Hylophorbus proekes is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and only known from the vicinity of its type locality on the southern slope of Mount Sapau in the Torricelli Mountains, West Sepik Province.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Asterophrys leucopus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T57682A150499177. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T57682A150499177.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Richards, S. J.; G. R. Johnston & T. C. Burton (1994). "A remarkable new asterophryine microhylid frog from the mountains of New Guinea". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 37: 281–286.
  3. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Asterophrys leucopus Richards, Johnston, and Burton, 1994". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  4. ↑ Kraus, Fred; Allison, Allen (2006). "Range extensions for reptiles and amphibians along the northern versant of Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Herpetological Review. 37 (3): 364–368.
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