Choerophryne darlingtoni

Choerophryne darlingtoni
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Microhylidae
Genus:	Choerophryne
Species:	C. darlingtoni
Binomial name
Choerophryne darlingtoni (Loveridge, 1948)
Synonyms [2]
Cophixalus biroi darlingtoniLoveridge, 1948 Cophixalus darlingtoni — Zweifel, 1956 Albericus darlingtoni — Burton and Zweifel, 1995

Choerophryne darlingtoni is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is currently endemic to Papua New Guinea and found in the New Guinea Highlands. ^[2] The specific name darlingtoni honors P. Jackson Darlington Jr., an American evolutionary biologist and zoogeographer. ^[3] Common name Darlington's rainforest frog has been coined for it. ^{[2] [3]}

Description

Choerophryne darlingtoni grows to a maximum snout–vent length of 27 mm (1.1 in). The snout is blunt, similar in length to the eye. The fifth toe is longer than the third. ^[4] Coloration is highly variable. A thin vertebral line or a broad light vertebral stripe may be present. The dorsal ground color varies from deep plumbeous to pale yellowish tan. Various darker markings are present. A pale, golden interocular line is almost always present but is sometimes indistinct. The venter is pale and nearly immaculate to grey. ^[5]

Choerophryne darlingtoni is not morphologically distinguishable from Choerophryne fafniri ^[2] but is distinguishable by the male advertisement call. ^[1] It is also similar to Choerophryne variegata . ^[4]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are montane forests ^[1] at elevations above 2,000 m (6,600 ft). ^[2] It is a locally abundant species but can be locally threatened by habitat loss caused by selective logging and forest clearance. ^[1]

References

1. Richards, S. & Zweifel, R. (2015) [errata version of 2004 assessment]. "Choerophryne darlingtoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004 e.T57662A85822896. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57662A11670701.en .
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Choerophryne darlingtoni (Loveridge, 1948)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 51. ISBN   978-1-907807-42-8.
4. Zweifel, Richard George (1962). "Frogs of the microhylid genus Cophixalus from the mountains of New Guinea". American Museum Novitates (2087): 1–26. hdl:2246/3455.
5. Zweifel, Richard George (1956). "Notes on microhylid frogs, genus Cophixalus, from New Guinea". American Museum Novitates (1785): 1–8. hdl:2246/4848.