Leptolalax

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Leptolalax
Leptolalax melanoleucus from Thailand.jpg
Leptolalax melanoleucus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Megophryidae
Genus: Leptolalax
Dubois, 1980
Type species
Leptolalax bourreti
Dubois, 1983
Species

50, see text

Leptolalax is a genus of frogs (order Anura) in the family Megophryidae. They are sometimes known as Asian toads, metacarpal-tubercled toads, or slender litter frogs, although many species-specific common names do not follow these conventions, and many species do not have common names. They are widely distributed in southeastern and eastern Asia, from southern China and northeastern India to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. [1] Leptolalax are typically small and have a cryptic colour pattern and no obvious morphological characters useful in systematic studies. Consequently, both molecular genetic analyses and analysis of advertisement calls by male frogs have been important in identifying new species. [2] [3] [4]

Fujian Asian Toad Leptolalax liui.jpg
Fujian Asian Toad

Two subgenera are recognized: Leptolalax and Lalos (the latter was first named as Lalax, but the name was already occupied). Lalos has a more northern distribution and only includes species from the continental Asia, whereas Leptolalax includes all the species from Borneo ( Leptolalax arayai , Leptolalax dringi , Leptolalax fritinniens , [4] Leptolalax gracilis , Leptolalax hamidi , Leptolalax maurus , Leptolalax sabahmontanus , Leptolalax marmoratus and Leptolalax pictus [5] ) as well as few continental species ( Leptolalax croceus , Leptolalax melicus ) and Leptolalax kajangensis from Tioman Island, at least provisionally. [1]

Most Leptolalax species have been reported from very small areas and only a few species have large areas of occurrence. Whether this distinction is real or the widespread species represent cryptic species complexes remains to be confirmed. [3]

Species

In 2016, 50 species were known in the genus. New species are still being described, including three in 2013, four in 2014, one in 2015, and six in 2016: [1]

Related Research Articles

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Leptobrachella is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. Members of Leptobrachella are found throughout Asia including on Borneo and the Natuna Islands. They are sometimes referred to as Borneo frogs, slender-armed frogs, or dwarf litter frogs. The genus contains over 80 species with 25 found in China alone.

Eastern spadefoot toad Genus of amphibians

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<i>Philautus</i> Genus of amphibians

Philautus is a genus of shrub frogs in the family Rhacophoridae from Asia. Some species in this genus are now considered extinct by IUCN, while others are widespread and abundant. The taxonomy of the group is unclear, with many poorly described species.

<i>Rhacophorus</i> Genus of amphibians

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<i>Leptolalax bourreti</i> Species of amphibian

Leptolalax bourreti is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is known with certainty only from the vicinity of its type locality in Sa Pa in northern Vietnam. Earlier records from Laos refer to Leptolalax eos and those from Thailand probably to an unnamed species. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known.

Leptolalax hamidi is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Borneo, where it can be found both in western Sarawak, Malaysia, and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland hilly forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss (logging).

Leptolalax heteropus is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is found in the Malay Peninsula, both in Malaysia and southern Thailand. The type locality is Maxwell Hill in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, and rivers. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.

<i>Leptobrachella liui</i> Species of amphibian

Leptobrachella liui, also known as Fujian Asian toad or Fujian metacarpal-tubercled toad, is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. Originally described from Chong'an in Fujian, it is now known to be widely distributed in southern and southeastern China from Zhejiang and Fujian west to Guizhou and Guangxi.

<i>Leptolalax nahangensis</i> Species of amphibian

Leptolalax nahangensis is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Tuyên Quang Province, northern Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist lowland forests, rivers, and caves. Its status is insufficiently known. This species has only been found near the entrance to a cave in Na Hang Nature Reserve.

Leptolalax pelodytoides is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is known with reasonable certainty only from near its type locality, the Karen Hills region in the Kayah State, eastern Myanmar. As Leptolalax pelodytoides was one of the first megophryid species to be described from the region, later research has shown that many specimens that have been reported as L. pelodytoides represent other species, including Leptolalax bourreti, Leptolalax oshanensis, Leptolalax eos, and Leptolalax minimus. A consequence is that the most recent IUCN assessment reports much broader distribution for this species than what can be ascertained.

<i>Leptolalax pluvialis</i> Species of amphibian

Leptolalax pluvialis is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is only known from its type locality, Fansipan mountain range in northern Vietnam, although it is expected to be found also in adjacent Yunnan, China. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist montane forests and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known.

<i>Leptolalax sungi</i> Species of amphibian

Leptolalax sungi is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is found in Vĩnh Phúc and Lào Cai Provinces in northern Vietnam and in Guangxi in southern China. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, and rivers. Its status is insufficiently known. This species was first found along a stream near Tam Đảo village, about 925 meters ASL.

<i>Leptobrachella tuberosa</i> Species of frog

Leptobrachella tuberosa, also known as the granular toad, is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. As currently known, it is endemic to the Central Highlands of Vietnam in Gia Lai, Quảng Nam, and Thừa Thiên–Huế Provinces. Its true range is probably wider as suitable habitat extends further north and east, reaching northeastern Cambodia and southeastern Laos. The specific name tuberosa is derived from the Latin tuberosus, meaning "full of protuberances".

Leptolalax croceus is a species of toad in the family Megophryidae. Discovered in the Central Vietnam in 2010, it is endemic to the region as it is only known from its type locality, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve in Đắk Glei District, Kon Tum Province. However, given the vicinity of the border to Laos it is also likely to be found there. Its belly has light orange color, which is unique among Leptolalax. It is a medium-sized species within its genus: snout-vent length of 16 males was in the range 22–27 mm (0.87–1.06 in). The species was found from evergreen forest at about 1,300 m (4,300 ft) elevation.

<i>Gracixalus</i> Genus of amphibians

Gracixalus is a genus of shrub frogs from south-eastern Asia.

Leptolalax melicus is a frog species in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Cambodia where it is only known from near its type locality, Virachey National Park, Ratanakiri Province; it is expected to have a wider distribution that may reach Laos and Vietnam. Leptolalax melicus have only been found near rocky streams in evergreen forest between 650–850 m (2,130–2,790 ft) altitude.

Leptobrachella aerea is a species of frogs in the family Megophryidae. It is known from Vilabouli District, Savannakhet Province, Laos and from Hà Tĩnh, Nghệ An, Thanh Hóa, and Quảng Bình Provinces of Vietnam.

Leptobrachella kalonensis is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Vietnam.

Leptobrachella lateralis is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It was first described by John Anderson (1871), who originally named it Ixalus lateralis. The holotype is lost and its exact origins are uncertain, but it was likely collected "from some portion of the surrounding region [of Bhamò]", Myanmar. It is only known with confidence from the region of its type locality and from Nagaland in Northeast India. Its range might extend into Yunnan, China. It is sometimes called Nagaland Asian toad or Nagaland leaf litter toad.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Leptolalax Dubois, 1980". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  2. Matsui, M. (1997). "Call characteristics of Malaysian Leptolalax with a description of two new species (Anura: Pelobatidae)". Copeia. 1997 (1): 158–165. doi:10.2307/1447851. JSTOR   1447851.
  3. 1 2 Ohler, A.; K. C. Wollenberg; P. Grosjean; R. Hendrix; M. Vences; T. Ziegler; A. Dubois (2011). "Sorting out Lalos: description of new species and additional taxonomic data on megophryid frogs from northern Indochina (genus Leptolalax, Megophryidae, Anura)". Zootaxa. 3147: 1–83. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3147.1.1.
  4. 1 2 3 Dehling, J.M.; Matsui, M. (2013). "A new species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3670 (1): 33–44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  5. A Field Guide to the Frogs of Borneo, Third Edition
  6. Rowley, J.J.L., Le, D.T.T, Tran, D.T.A., & Hoang, H.D. (2011). "A new species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from southern Vietnam." Zootaxa 2796: 15-28.