Nanohyla petrigena

Nanohyla petrigena
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Microhylidae
Genus:	Nanohyla
Species:	N. petrigena
Binomial name
Nanohyla petrigena (Inger and Frogner, 1979)
Synonyms [2]
Microhyla petrigenaInger and Frogner, 1979

Nanohyla petrigena is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. ^[2] It is found in northern and central Borneo (Brunei, southeastern Sabah and central Sarawak, Malaysia, and central Kalimantan, Indonesia) and in the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines. The common names pothole narrow-mouthed frog and Kapit rice frog have been coined for the species. ^{[1] [2]}

Taxonomy

N. petrigena was formerly placed in the genus Microhyla , but a 2021 study using morphological and phylogenetic evidence moved nine species (including N. petrigena) to a new genus, Nanohyla . ^{[2] [3]}

Description

Nanohyla petrigena is a small frog: adult males measure 14–16 mm (0.6–0.6 in) and adult females 15–18 mm (0.6–0.7 in) in snout–vent length. ^[4] Its hands have only three fingers. The dorsum is colored in shades of brown. There are dark markings on the shoulder and a light band on the flank. The venter is dark with an irregular white blotch. ^[5]

The male advertisement call is a single, pulsed note, emitted in series consisting of maximally 15 notes. Call repetition rate is about 0.7 per second, declining towards the end of the series. ^[4]

Habitat and conservation

Nanohyla petrigena occurs in lowland primary rainforests at elevations below 700 m (2,300 ft). ^[1] It lives in leaf litter. Breeding takes place in small pot-holes on rocky banks of clear streams and rivers and appears to be restricted to certain nights. ^{[1] [4]} The egg masses float on the surface of these pools. ^[4] The tadpoles feed in mid-water. ^[5]

This species appears not to be able to adapt to modified habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by logging and conversion in palm oil plantations; the type locality has already been destroyed and species has likely disappeared from there. However, the species occurs in several protected areas. ^[1]

References

1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2018). "Nanohyla petrigena". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018 e.T57889A58478677. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T57889A58478677.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2021). "Nanohyla petrigena (Inger and Frogner, 1979)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001 . Retrieved 15 January 2021.
3. Gorin, Vladislav A.; Scherz, Mark D.; Korost, Dmitriy V. & Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2021-12-01). "Consequences of parallel miniaturisation in Microhylinae (Anura, Microhylidae), with the description of a new genus of diminutive South East Asian frogs" (PDF). Zoosystematics and Evolution. 97 (1): 21–54. doi: 10.3897/zse.97.57968 .
4. Dehling, J. M. (2010). "Advertisement calls of two species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Borneo". Salamandra. 46 (2): 114–116. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
5. Haas, A.; Das, I. & Hertwig, S.T. (2017). "Microhyla petrigena Pothole Narrow-mouthed Frog". Frogs of Borneo. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2019.