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Background: Kurixalus lenquanensis Yu, Wang, Hou, Rao and Yang, 2017 was originally described, based on 14 adult male specimens from Lengquan Village, Mengzi, Yunnan, China. So far, this species is known only from south-eastern Yunnan and information on females of this species is not available. During the field surveys in 2023, two Kurixalus specimens (one female and one male) were collected from central eastern Yunnan (Shilin, Kunming, Yunnan, China). These two specimens were confirmed to be K. lenquanensis by molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA sequences. New information: A female specimen of K. lenquanensis is described for the first time and morphological variation amongst populations of this species is provided. The diagnosis and distribution of this species are updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new treefrog species from Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Zhangixalus based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsum green, smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1–32.2 in males); (2) fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; (3) absence of dermal folds along limbs; (4) absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal surface of the head and body green without spots; (2) axilla and groin cream with a black blotch; (3) ventral cream without spot; (4) chin creamy with grey marbling; anterior part of the thigh and ventral surface of tibia orange without spots; posterior parts of thigh orange with a large black blotch; (5) ventral side of webbing orange with some grey pattern (6) iris red-bronze, pupils black; (7) finger webbing formula I1¼-1¼II1-2III1-1IV, toe webbing formula I½-½II0-1½III¼-1¾IV1¾-½V. Phylogenetically, the new species is nested in the same subclade as Z. jodiae, Z. pinglongensis, and Z. yaoshanensis, with genetic distances ranging from 3.23% to 4.68%. The new species can be found in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of about 1,883 m a.s.l. This new discovery brings the number of known genus Zhangixalus species to 42 and the number of species reported from Vietnam to 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bush frog species is described from Yunnan, China, based on phylogenetic analyses, species delimitation analyses, and morphological comparisons. Raorchestes hekouensis sp. nov. is distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of 11 morphological characters. The new species brings the current number of Raorchestes species in China to ten, nine of which are distributed in Yunnan. Molecular analyses supported an unnamed lineage previously recorded as “Raorchestes gryllus” in northern Vietnam. Further studies including additional samples are necessary to clarify the species diversity and boundaries of Raorchestes in China and Indochina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest green tree frog, Zhangixalus arboreus, is a Rhacophorid species naturally distributed in Honshu and Sado Islands from Japan. This species is also known to have been introduced to the Izu-Oshima Island. In this study, we examined the feeding habits of Z. arboreus in Izu-Oshima Island because the knowledge of its foraging strategies may contribute to addressing conservation efforts on the island. We observed that frog stomachs contained 65 animal prey items, exclusively arthropods belonging to classes Arachnida, Insecta, and Diplopoda. The frog stomachs contained terrestrial and arboreal arthropods, suggesting that Z. arboreus feeds in a variety of habitats. We also found a large number of ants in frog stomachs. Our results differ from a previous study carried out on native populations of this species, which may be indicative of habitat differences among populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental niche models are useful tools for generating hypotheses for the distribution of species and informing conservation planning, especially at the edge of species' ranges and for those with limited data. Here we report on the recent documentation of four species of amphibian (Hylarana latouchii, Odorrana tianmuii, Polypedates braueri, and Zhangixalus dennysi) and one reptile (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) with few or no previous geolocated records from Jiangsu, China. We combined our opportunistic field sampling data from Jiangsu, which is at the edge of each of these species' ranges, with publicly available occurrence records and climatic data to generate environmental niche models for these five species using Maxent. All models showed good model performance with AUC values ranging from 0.899 to 0.983. Additional potentially suitable areas within southern Jiangsu were predicted for the four amphibian species, although the significant anthropogenic habitat modifications in the province may limit their contemporary distributions. For all five species, the climatic variable that contributed most to the model was the precipitation of the driest month (Bio 14), indicating they are limited by moisture availability. Our study adds new information about the climatic preferences of these five species and highlights the value of complementing environmental niche modeling with field surveys for robust inferences and conservation planning, particularly at the edge of species' ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian warty treefrogs, genus Theloderma, are morphologically variable arboreal frogs endemic to Southeast Asia and Southern China. However, integrated systematic studies are lacking, and knowledge of the genus in terms of diversity, origin, and historical diversification remains limited. To address these knowledge gaps, we used three mitochondrial and five nuclear gene fragments to reconstruct the Theloderma phylogeny, estimate divergence times, and examine the biogeography of the genus. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses suggest that the genus Theloderma comprises three major clades corresponding to two subgenera and seven species groups, and mPTP identified at least 12 putative cryptic species, suggesting that species diversity has been underestimated. Biogeographic analyses indicated that most recent common ancestor of Theloderma originated in the Indochina Peninsula during the Middle Oligocene (ca. 27.77 Ma) and the splitting of Clade A to C occurred in the Late Oligocene (ca. 23.55–25.57 Ma). Current biogeographic patterns result from two distinct processes: in situ diversification in the Indochina Peninsula and dispersal in multiple areas, namely southward dispersal to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, northeastward dispersal to Southern China, northward dispersal to the Himalayas, and dispersal from Southern China to the Indochina Peninsula. Ancestral character reconstruction suggests that the ancestor of Theloderma may have possessed a small body size, rough dorsal skin, and absence of vomerine teeth and hand webbing, and that these four characters have undergone multiple evolutions. Principal component analysis based on eight bioclimatic variables did not clearly distinguish the three major clades of Theloderma, suggesting that species in these clades may occupy similar climatic ecological niches. Our research highlights the importance of orogeny and paleoclimatic changes, in shaping amphibian biodiversity in mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two of the six Chirixalus species currently known are distributed in Indonesia. Both species are only known to be distributed in Java, and they are Chirixalus trilaksonoi and Chirixalus pantaiselatan. During two field expeditions conducted in 2022 in Palembang, South Sumatra, we encountered several individuals exhibiting morphological similarities to C. trilaksonoi. Subsequent analysis, encompassing molecular, morphological, and bioacoustic, was undertaken to ascertain the identity of these individuals. The analyses outcomes unequivocally confirm that the specimens from Palembang are indeed C. trilaksonoi. Nevertheless, slight variations were observed between the Javanese and Sumatran populations of C. trilaksonoi. These populations exhibited a low genetic distance of 0.6% in mitochondrial DNA and displayed three polymorphic sites. Furthermore, there are slight differences in various morphological characteristics, and in advertising calls. The IUCN red-list status of this species was also evaluated, and based on the available evidence, we propose C. trilaksonoi as Vulnerable according to criteria B1ab(iii). This study stresses the importance of comprehensive taxon studies, especially in neighboring island, and in one biogeographical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: At present, there are two hypotheses about the biogeographic origin of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands. We reconstructed the ancestral distribution of Kurixalus, based on complete sampling and accurate selection of biogeographical analysis models. The results showed that Kurixalus on the East Asian islands have originated from the Asian mainland through two long-distance colonization events (jump dispersal). In addition, the analyses of the tempo of diversification revealed that the diversification rate of Kurixalus showed a slight decreasing trend. The relevant results will help us to comprehensively and accurately understand the geographical origin of Kurixalus and improve our understanding of the origin history of the flora and fauna of Taiwan Island. The ancestral area of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands is under dispute, and two hypotheses exist, namely that distribution occurred only on the Asian mainland (scenario of dispersal) and that wide distribution occurred on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands (scenario of vicariance). In this study, we conducted biogeographic analyses and estimated the lineage divergence times based on the most complete sampling of species, to achieve a more comprehensive understanding on the origin of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands. Our results revealed that the process of jump dispersal (founder-event speciation) is the crucial process, resulting in the distribution of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands, and supported the model of the Asian mainland origin: that Kurixalus on the East Asian islands originated from the Asian mainland through two long-distance colonization events (jump dispersal), via the model of vicariance of a widespread ancestor on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands. Our results indicated that choices of historical biogeography models can have large impacts on biogeographic inference, and the procedure of model selection is very important in biogeographic analysis. The diversification rate of Kurixaus has slightly decreased over time, although the constant-rate model cannot be rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally cued hatching has been well‐documented in amphibians in response to a wide range of abiotic and biotic factors. The hatching of terrestrial amphibian eggs in response to flooding may be basal within the group, but amphibian lineages in tropical Asia and sub‐Saharan Africa have not received as much attention as their Neotropical counterparts. We investigated submergence‐induced hatching in Feihyla hansenae, a Rhacophorid tree frog with terrestrial eggs. We quantified natural rates of clutch submergence at our study site in Thailand. Using submergence experiments, we found that embryos are capable of hatching early to escape flooding, and that failure to hatch results in mortality. Among the embryos that were able to hatch early, only the earliest, youngest hatchlings experienced a trade‐off in body size that persisted for 6 days, while later, older hatchlings were not significantly smaller than spontaneous hatchlings under control conditions. By incorporating our natural and experimental data into Monte Carlo methods to simulate and compare survival probabilities with and without hatching plasticity, we found an overall 3.1% increase in submergence survival due to hatching plasticity. Our findings support the idea that flooding‐induced hatching is widespread across amphibians with terrestrial eggs and highlight the importance of researching understudied tropical regions. As climate change is projected to affect rainfall patterns, the ability of embryos to escape abiotic egg‐stage threats may be an indicator of species' ability to flexibly navigate a changing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A new species of small tree frog is described from northwestern Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Gracixalus truongi sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners and other small rhacophorid species on the basis of a combination of the following characters: size relatively small, SVL 32.2-33.1 mm in males, 37.6-39.3 mm in females; head slightly wider than long; vomerine teeth absent; snout round and long RL/SVL 0.17-0.19 in males, 0.16-0.17 in females; spines on upper eyelid absent; supratympanic fold distinct; tympanum distinct; dorsal skin smooth; throat smooth and venter granular; tibiotarsal projection absent; webbing of fingers rudimentary, toes with moderately developed webbing; dorsum moss-green, with an inverse Y-shaped dark green marking extended from interorbital region to posterior region of dorsum; external vocal sac absent in males; males with a nuptial pad on finger I. In the molecular analyses, the new species has no clear sister taxon and is at least 4.5% divergent from other congeners based on a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a new species of amphibian, Zhangixalus melanoleucus sp. nov., discovered in Laos using an integrative taxonomic approach that included morphological, molecular, and bioacoustic lines of evidence. Topics include detailed description of the diagnostic characteristics of new species and discusses its genetic relationships to other members of the genus; and endemism of the new species with further research to better understand the diversity of genus Zhangixalus in Laos.

In this study, based on morphological and molecular data, a new bush frog species is described from Yunnan, China. Eleven samples of Raorchestes malipoensis sp. nov. were collected from Malipo County, southeastern Yunnan. This species can be distinguished from other congeners by a combination of 13 morphological characters. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene indicate that these individuals form a monophyletic group, and genetic divergence between this clade and its closest relatives is higher than 3.1%, which is comparable to the divergence between recognized Raorchestes species. The discovery of this new species suggests that additional extensive surveys in the southeastern Yunnan would yield more amphibian lineages yet unknown to science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies of Rhacophorus reinwardtii in Southeast Asia split this species into five different species: R. norhayatiae, R. borneensis, R. kio, R. helenae, and R. reinwardtii. Meanwhile, the Sumatran Rhacophorus reinwardtii var. lateralis could not be ascribed to either R. norhayatiae or R. reinwardtii due to the poor condition of the specimen. Therefore, it was considered conspecific with R. norhayatiae. To identify the population of Norhayati's Gliding Frog in Sumatra, we collected a specimen of R. cf. norhayatiae and three R. cf. reinwardtii and performed phylogenetic analyses using the 16S rRNA gene using Maximum Likelihood Analysis and Bayesian Inference. The results show that the specimen of Rhacophorus cf. norhayatiae from Sumatra is grouped with R. norhayatiae from Peninsular Malaysia and the Sumatran specimens of Rhacophorus cf. reinwardtii grouped with Javan R. reinwardtii. Based on morphology, we found that the Sumatran specimen of R. norhayatiae possessed the diagnostic features of R. reinwardtii var. lateralis. However, considering the presence of the senior homonym Rhacophorus lateralis Boulenger 1883, R. reinwardtii var. lateralis is here treated as a junior synonym of R. norhayatiae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe and photographically document the larval development from egg to metamorph in four species of anurans from northeastern Thailand: Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Bufonidae), Occidozyga lima (Dicroglossidae), Kaloula pulchra (Microhylidae), and Polypedates megacephalus (Rhacophoridae). Changes in snout-vent length, total length, and in relative tail length (ratio tail length/snout-vent length) are reported for each developmental stage. We also provide diagrams illustrating the temporal pattern of development in these species except for O. lima. Furthermore, a detailed description of the tadpole in stage 36 is provided for each of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Duplicated control regions have been reported several times in the tree frog family Rhacophoridae, and previous studies have mostly relied on sequence analysis to reconstruct their evolution. This is the first study to employ a phylogenetic method to demonstrate the existence of concerted and parallel evolution succinctly and intuitively in the duplicated control regions of the family Rhacophoridae. Phylogenetic relationships were also used to illustrate the parallel evolution of ATP8 loss of function in the genus Polypedates. In general, this study elucidated the evolutionary patterns and pathways of mitochondrial gene rearrangement of the family Rhacophoridae from a phylogenetic perspective, which aids in understanding the evolutionary history of this fascinating tree frog taxon from a molecular evolution standpoint. New developments in sequencing technology and nucleotide analysis have allowed us to make great advances in reconstructing anuran phylogeny. As a clade of representative amphibians that have radiated from aquatic to arboreal habitats, our understanding of the systematic status and molecular biology of rhacophorid tree frogs is still limited. We determined two new mitogenomes for the genus Polypedates (Rhacophoridae): P. impresus and P. mutus. We conducted comparative and phylogenetic analyses using our data and seven other rhacophorid mitogenomes. The mitogenomes of the genera Polypedates, Buergeria, and Zhangixalus were almost identical, except that the ATP8 gene in Polypedates had become a non-coding region; Buergeria maintained the legacy "LTPF" tRNA gene cluster compared to the novel "TLPF" order in the other two genera; and B. buergeri and Z. dennysi had no control region (CR) duplication. The resulting phylogenetic relationship supporting the above gene rearrangement pathway suggested parallel evolution of ATP8 gene loss of function (LoF) in Polypedates and CR duplication with concerted evolution of paralogous CRs in rhacophorids. Finally, conflicting topologies in the phylograms of 185 species reflected the advantages of phylogenetic analyses using multiple loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of the genus Rhacophorus has been problematic. In particular there has been considerable controversy surrounding the phylogenetic relationships among Rhacophorus rhodopus, R. bipunctatus, and R. reinwardtii. To examine the relationship among these Rhacophorus species, we assembled the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of R. rhodopus. The R. rhodopus genome is 15,789 bp in length with 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) (losing ND5), two ribosomal genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region (D-loop). Base composition of the overall sequence was 60.86% for A + T content and 39.14% for C + G content. Most of the PCGs used ATG as a start codon, except for the COX I gene, which used the ATA start codon. COX I and ND6 used AGG and ATP8 stop codons respectively, while ND3 and ND4L used the TAA stop codon. For the remaining seven genes, the stop codons was incomplete. In addition, both 5' and 3' of the control areas had distinct repeating regions. Based on three datasets and two methods (Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML)), we reconstructed three phylogenetic trees to explore the taxonomic status of the species and the phylogenetic relationship among R. rhodopus, R. bipunctatus and R. reinwardtii. Our results indicated that these three species are non-monophyletic; thus, the phylogenetic relationship among them is complex and difficult to determine. Further, R. rhodopus is divided into three lineages from different parts of China. The two Rhacophorus samples showed very close phylogenetic relationship with R. rhodopus. Our results add to the mitochondrial genome database of amphibians and will help to disentangle the phylogenetic relationships within the Rhacophoridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on morphological and molecular evidence of five male adult specimens collected from Napo County, Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, we describe a new species of Rhacophorus, Rhacophorus napoensis sp. nov. This new species is similar to Rhacophorus rhodopus Liu & Hu, 1959 and Rhacophorus bipunctatus Ahl, 1927 in morphology, but it can be distinguished from the latter two by the following morphological characteristics: head width is greater than head length, snout pointed, loreal region oblique, tympanum distinct, maxillary teeth distinct, tongue cordiform, external single subgular vocal sac, tibiotarsal articulation reaches the snout, tibia length is greater than foot length and slightly greater than half of snout-vent length, and single outer metatarsal tubercle is flat. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on 16S rRNA sequence shows that all individuals of this species clustered into the same clade, and genetically this new species differs from R. rhodopus and R. bipunctatus by 7.71% and 7.98% in 16S rRNA sequences, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of biodiversity before species become extinct is paramount to conservation, especially when the relevant species are far from their expected distribution and, thus, likely overlooked. Here, we describe a new Kurixalus species corresponding to a range extension of Kurixalus on the Asian mainland, with the closest population in Taiwan. The species diverged from its closest relative during the Late Pliocene to Pleistocene, ca. 3.06 Mya (HPD 95%: 5.82-0.01), based on calibrations with a relaxed clock species tree of unlinked mtDNA 12S rRNA and nuclear DNA TYR. The status of the newly-described species is also supported by a divergence in call properties and morphometrics. We named the species described here as Kurixalus inexpectatus sp. nov. due to the nature of the discovery, as well as the adjunct distribution of the species relative to its closest congeners. The species was found in Zhejiang Province and it represents a range extension of 663 km for the Kurixalus genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of Theloderma from southern Yunnan, China and northern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular evidence. Theloderma hekouense sp. nov., which had been recorded as T. rhododiscus, is the sister to T. rhododiscus. The new species differs genetically from T. rhododiscus by 4.2% and 10.7% in 16S rRNA and COI genes, respectively, and it can be morphologically distinguished from T. rhododiscus by having more densely spaced white warts on the dorsal surface, red subarticular tubercles, red metacarpal tubercles, a red metatarsal tubercle, and black dorsal and ventral surfaces in preservative. Currently the new species is only known from the China--Vietnam border regions of Yunnan and Ha Giang, while T. rhododiscus has a wide distributional range in China including Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, Jiangxi, and presumably Guizhou and eastern Yunnan. Including the new species, there are currently 10 Theloderma species in China and seven Theloderma species in Yunnan, where more species will probably be found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notice of RepublicationAn incorrect version of Fig 1 was published in error. This article was republished on June 5, 2024, to correct the error. Please download the article again to view the correct version.By Gajaba Ellepola; Jayampathi Herath; Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi; Nayana Wijayathilaka; Gayani Senevirathne; Rohan Pethiyagoda and Madhava MeegaskumburaReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

We report a visual display, leg-stretching, in the nocturnal Ryukyu Kajika frog (Buergeria japonica) on Iriomote Island in southern Okinawa, Japan. This visual display is produced by males before, during, or after a vocalization and involves the extension of one or both hindlimbs outwards at substrate level. Leg-stretches in this species are performed during male-male agonistic interactions in choruses, and almost exclusively in concert with aggressive vocalizations. These observations are one of the first reports of visual displays for the Rhacophoridae family and provide insights into why visual displays evolve in frogs, especially in nocturnal species. We discuss our observations in the context of underlying mechanisms and selective pressures driving the evolution of anuran visual displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old World tree frogs from the family Rhacophoridae, one of the most species-rich groups of amphibians worldwide, are becoming a model in ecological and evolutionary research, notably for their tremendous diversity of breeding systems. In this study, we provide the most comprehensive temporally and spatially explicit phylogeographical framework for the tropical neo-genus Zhangixalus , with a specific focus on the evolution of inter- and intraspecific polymorphism in their egg-laying strategies. We combined ~500 sequences spanning ~4 kb of mitochondrial genes, representative of nearly all known Zhangixalus species from 373 localities. We recovered a robust timetree featuring ~60 phylogeographical lineages assigned to 36 taxa, illustrating a vast under-appreciation of the diversity of the genus. Patterns of diversification were intimately linked to climatic trends since the Mid-Miocene, leading to a remarkable biogeographical scenario for the onset of Taiwanese diversity. Finally, in contrast to the macro-evolution of conserved breeding strategies in rhacophorids, the striking variation of nesting behaviour documented across Zhangixalus species, whereby foamy egg nests are alternatively fossorial, deposited on the edge of the water or suspended on the overhanging vegetation, seems to have evolved rapidly from arboreal ancestors in all major clades, implying micro-evolutionary processes and/or phenotypic plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first country record of Theloderma khoii Ninh, Nguyen, Nguyen, Hoang, Siliyavong, Nguyen, Le, Le & Ziegler, 2022 from China based on a specimen collected from Wenshan Prefecture, southeastern Yunnan, China. Morphologically, the specimen from Wenshan Prefecture agrees well with the type specimens of T. khoii from Vietnam except for having a smaller body size, and phylogenetically clustered with the type specimens of T. khoii from Vietnam. In addition, we confirm the distribution of Rhacophorus orlovi Ziegler & Köhler, 2001 in China based on three specimens collected from Honghe Prefecture, southern Yunnan, China. Morphologically, the specimens from Honghe Prefecture agree well with the type specimens of R. orlovi from Vietnam except for having a slightly larger body size in adult females, and phylogenetically clustered with the specimens of R. orlovi from Vietnam (including the type locality of R. orlovi). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buergeria japonica (Rhacophoridae) thrives in diverse habitats, from montane forests to the mouths of small rivers opening onto sandy beaches. The osmoregulatory system of B. japonica may differ between populations living in these contrasting environments. In this study, we compared the activity of cutaneous Na+/K+-ATPase in two populations of B. japonica from different habitats (montane vs. coastal). Our results reveal a significant difference between the Na+/K+-ATPase activity of the two populations of B. japonica, with the coastal population having higher Na+/K+-ATPase activity. Because the Na+/K+-ATPase plays a crucial role in osmoregulation in high salinity, these results are consistent with the higher salinity tolerance of the coastal population. It is not known whether the difference in Na+/K+-ATPase activity between populations is a result of local adaptation or phenotypic plasticity. More detailed work will be needed to disentangle the patterns of differentiation in physiological responses to salt in these amphibians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Rhacophorus dennysi (family Rhacophoridae). The R. dennysi mitogenome (18,052 bp) contained the 37 genes and a single control region (CR) typically found in neobatrachian mtDNAs. In the new mt genome, the ND5 gene and a TLPF tRNA cluster (tRNAThr, tRNALeu(CUN), tRNAPro and tRNAPhe) were located between the CR and the 12S rRNA gene. R. dennysi mitochondrial gene rearrangements observed here could be explained by the Tandem Duplication and Random Loss (TDRL) model. We used twelve mitochondrial protein-coding genes of the newly sequenced and other reported species to assess phylogenetic relationships of Ranoidea. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods supported the sister-group relationship between ((Rhacophoridae + Mantellidae) + Ranidae) and Dicroglossidae. Within Rhacophoridae, two species of the genus Rhacophorus (R. schlegelii and R. dennysi) were clustered together with the representative of the genus Polypedates (P. megacephalus), meanwhile, the representative of the genus Buergeria (B. buergeri) occupied the basal position in the clade of Rhacophoridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhacophorus is a genus of tree frogs in the family Rhacophoridae commonly referred to as parachuting or gliding frogs, distinguished by extensive digital webbing. A rare species, Rhacophorus translineatus Wu, 1977, was recorded for the first time in Bhutan. Information on morphological characters, geographical distribution, habitat and natural history notes is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sri Lanka is an amphibian hotspot of global significance. Its anuran fauna is dominated by the shrub frogs of the genus Pseudophilautus. Except for one small clade of four species in Peninsular India, these cool-wet adapted frogs, numbering some 59 extant species, are distributed mainly across the montane and lowland rain forests of the island. With species described primarily by morphological means, the diversification has never yet been subjected to a molecular species delimitation analysis, a procedure now routinely applied in taxonomy. Here we test the species boundaries of Pseudophilautus in the context of the phylogenetic species concept (PSC). We use all the putative species for which credible molecular data are available (nDNA–Rag-1; mt-DNA– 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA) to build a well resolved phylogeny, which is subjected to species delimitation analyses. The ABGD, bPTP, mPTP and bGMYC species delimitation methods applied to the 16S rRNA frog barcoding gene (for all species), 12S rRNA and Rag-1 nDNA grouped P. procax and P. abundus; P. hallidayi and P. fergusonianus; P. reticulatus and P. pappilosus; P. pleurotaenia and P. hoipolloi; P. hoffmani and P. asankai; P. silvaticus and P. limbus; P. dilmah and P. hankeni; P. fulvus and P. silus.. Surprisingly, all analyses recovered 14 unidentified potential new species as well. The geophylogeny affirms a distribution across the island's aseasonal 'wet zone' and its three principal hill ranges, suggestive of allopatric speciation playing a dominant role, especially between mountain masses. Among the species that are merged by the delimitation analyses, a pattern leading towards a model of parapatric speciation emerges–ongoing speciation in the presence of gene flow. This delimitation analysis reinforces the species hypotheses, paving the way to a reasonable understanding of Sri Lankan Pseudophilautus, enabling both deeper analyses and conservation efforts of this remarkable diversification. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DA869B6B-870A-4ED3-BF5D-5AA3F69DDD27. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract “Hot spring frog” is an informal name used for the Japanese stream tree frog (Buergeria japonica), which is widely distributed in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan. Some populations of the species are known to inhabit hot springs. However, water temperature can be extremely high around the sources of hot springs. Thus, it is questionable whether B. japonica selectively inhabits such dangerous environments. To address this question, we conducted a series of observations of water temperature preferences of a hot spring population of B. japonica in Kuchinoshima Island in Japan: (a) a field observation of tadpole density in water pools of different temperatures, (b) a field observation of water temperatures where adult males appear for breeding, and (c) an indoor observation of water temperatures selected by adult females for oviposition. As a result, tadpoles showed a higher density in cooler water. Adult males avoided water pools hotter than 37°C, and adult females selected cooler pools for oviposition. Camera records also showed that adult individuals tend to appear around cooler pools. Thus, we did not find any support for the hypothesis that hot spring frogs prefer hot water. Conversely, they apparently tended to prefer cooler water if it was available. Water temperatures around the sources of the hot spring exceed thermal tolerances of the species and could be a strong selective pressure on the population. Thus, the ability to sense and avoid lethal temperatures may be a key ecological and physiological characteristic for the species that inhabit hot springs.

Traditionally, the genus Philautus Gistel, 1848 contains small Rhacoporid frogs that lack vomerine teeth and a direct development tadpole stage. In Java, this genus consists of 3 species, including Philautus aurifasciatus, Philautus jacobsoni, and Philautus pallidipes. It is known that Philautus aurifasciatus and Philautus jacobsoni are sympatric species from Mount Ungaran and are morphologically difficult to distinguish. Therefore, information is needed through the phenetic characters of each population in the area to identify differences in their morphology. This study aimed to analyze the morphological characteristics of Bush Frog Philautus spp. on Mount Ungaran in terms of meristic character through a direct field survey and comparison methods. Furthermore, it was conducted by observing 32 specimens of Philautus spp. from Mount Ungaran and compared with the Philautus aurifasciatus from Mount Gede Pangrango with 18 meristic characters. The results showed that Philautus spp. is similar to Philautus aurifasciatus in terms of their meristic characters. The results of the meristic analysis showed that Philautus spp. has a variety of dorsal colors from brown, purple, green, and gray with two types of patterns including patterned groups (resembling letters H, X, and V) and abstract. Furthermore, the throat, stomach, and lower thighs are granular with three snout shapes (protruding, round, and sloping). It has a loreal oblique tympanum and canthus rostralis. The forelimbs are not webbed while the hindlimbs are half webbed, and the inner metatarsal is an elongated oval in shape. Meristic analysis provides a basis for strengthening the taxonomic status of Philautus spp on Mount Ungaran, as well as information the distribution in Mount Ungaran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted field observations of spawning sites of the Japanese forest green tree frog (Zhangixalus arboreus: Rhacophoridae) at four ponds for two years. In 2019, a total of 50 foam nests were made on trees (77%), whereas 15 foam nests were made on the ground (23%). In 2020, 65 nests were arboreal (97%) and there were only two ground nests (3%). About 70% of all ground nests deteriorated or disappeared without their eggs hatching, mostly because of predation. In contrast, only about 4% of all arboreal nests died because of desiccation and 27% died mainly of outside spawning and disappearance before egg hatching for any reason. The relative proportions of arboreal versus ground spawning sites differed significantly between 2019 and 2020. Ground spawning was scarcely observed in 2020; in that year the amount of precipitation during the reproductive period was about 1.5 times that in 2019. Our field experiment using paper-clay models confirmed that arboreal nests were more susceptible to desiccation than ground nests. These results suggest that ground spawning may be of some advantage in resistance to desiccation, whereas arboreal spawning may be less susceptible to predation of foam nests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Rhacophoridae, including Buergeria japonica, shows a great diversity of reproductive patterns, but the knowledge of developmental processes is still limited. The genus Buergeria is a sister group to all other rhacophorids and shows a conservative, probably primitive, reproductive mode for this family. Thus, it is valuable to clarify the developmental process in this genus for understanding the evolution and diversification history of reproductive modes and developmental processes across the broader family members. In this study, we describe the normal development of B. japonica by rearing eggs and larvae under ambient temperatures of 27±1°C. The developmental speed of B. japonica from fertilization to gill elongation (stage 20), corresponding to their hatching period, was faster than most of other anuran species, when comparison was made using relative age, which is independent of temperature. The rapid embryonic development may be advantageous in their highly fluctuating breeding environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined predation of the forest green tree frog, Zhangixalus arboreus, as part of a two-year monitoring study of the frog's reproductive processes at four ponds in central Japan, performed by using field censuses and sensor cameras. During the period, we confirmed predation against arboreal foam nests by the common raccoon, Procyon lotor. We also found a carcass of a female adult frog with eggs and bitten ground foam nests, the signs of which were strongly suspected to indicate predation by raccoons. These results imply that invasion of Japanese forest areas by alien raccoons is becoming an increasingly serious threat to Z. arboreus through predation at various life stages of the frog. At this study site, however, the demographics of both the raccoon and Z. arboreus have not yet been examined. We need more field data to assess the long-term effects of predation pressure on the frog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than a century, pearly tree frog from its type locality (East Indies; Java; Mt. Wilis) are undiscovered. Current studies about the distribution of Nyctixalus margaritifer are reported as known only from West Java and Central Java. In this paper, we collected one individual of pearly tree frog, N. margaritifer in the Western part of Mt. Wilis, which belongs to Gunung Sigogor Nature Reserve, Ponorogo, East Java. This is the third specimen, which is discovered from the Mt. Wilis after the lost holotype in 1882 and the neotype in 1885. Poorly known on its ecology and its habitat preferences makes this frog difficult to find. Here, we provide the specimen description with comparison to former studies based on morphological characters only, its ecology, and its habitat preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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New developments in sequencing technology and nucleotide analysis have allowed us to make great advances in reconstructing anuran phylogeny. As a clade of representative amphibians that have radiated from aquatic to arboreal habitats, our understanding of the systematic status and molecular biology of rhacophorid tree frogs is still limited. We determined two new mitogenomes for the genus Polypedates (Rhacophoridae): P. impresus and P. mutus. We conducted comparative and phylogenetic analyses using our data and seven other rhacophorid mitogenomes. The mitogenomes of the genera Polypedates, Buergeria, and Zhangixalus were almost identical, except that the ATP8 gene in Polypedates had become a non-coding region; Buergeria maintained the legacy “LTPF” tRNA gene cluster compared to the novel “TLPF” order in the other two genera; and B. buergeri and Z. dennysi had no control region (CR) duplication. The resulting phylogenetic relationship supporting the above gene rearrangement pathway suggested parallel evolution of ATP8 gene loss of function (LoF) in Polypedates and CR duplication with concerted evolution of paralogous CRs in rhacophorids. Finally, conflicting topologies in the phylograms of 185 species reflected the advantages of phylogenetic analyses using multiple loci.

Based on the species specificity of anuran vocalization, bioacoustics can be utilized in terms of species identification and species delimitation. The genus Theloderma comprises 23 to 29 species, depending on inclusion of the (sub)genera Nyctixalus and Stelladerma, from which the majority of 14 species was described in this century. In spite of numerous publications about species descriptions and phylogenetics, studies about life history traits, particularly about advertisement calls, are lacking for the most species. In this study, acoustic signals of the mossy or bug-eyed frogs Theloderma corticale, T. albopunctatum and T. licin were recorded, and detailed temporal and spectral advertisement call properties are presented and compared to other congenerics (T. auratum, T. stellatum, T. vietnamense). We found that the advertisement calls of the six herein compared species are species-specific and are significantly distinguishable from each other. While the temporal features (i.e. arrangement in call groups, note repetition rate) are species-specific call properties, the spectral features (i.e. dominant frequency) can partially overlap among the small-sized species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nematodes of the family Cosmocercidae (Ascaridomorpha: Cosmocercoidea) are mainly parasitic in the digestive tract of various amphibians and reptiles worldwide. However, our knowledge of the molecular phylogeny of the Cosmocercidae is still far from comprehensive. The phylogenetic relationships between Cosmocercidae and the other two families, Atractidae and Kathlaniidae, in the superfamily Cosmocercoidea are still under debate. Moreover, the systematic position of some genera within Cosmocercidae remains unclear. Methods: Nematodes collected from Polypedates megacephalus (Hallowell) (Anura: Rhacophoridae) were identified using morphological (light and scanning electron microscopy) and molecular methods [sequencing the small ribosomal DNA (18S), internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1), large ribosomal DNA (28S) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) target regions]. Phylogenetic analyses of cosmocercoid nematodes using 18S + 28S sequence data were performed to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of the Cosmocercidae, Atractidae and Kathlaniidae in the Cosmocercoidea and the systematic position of the genus Aplectana in Cosmocercidae. Results: Morphological and genetic evidence supported the hypothesis that the nematode specimens collected from P. megacephalus represent a new species of Aplectana (Cosmocercoidea: Cosmocercidae). Our phylogenetic results revealed that the Cosmocercidae is a monophyletic group, but not the basal group in Cosmocercoidea as in the traditional classification. The Kathlaniidae is a paraphyletic group because the subfamily Cruziinae within Kathlaniidae (including only the genus Cruzia) formed a seperate lineage. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that the genus Aplectana has a closer relationship to the genus Cosmocerca in Cosmocercidae. Conclusions: Our phylogenetic results suggested that the subfamily Cruziinae should be moved from the hitherto-defined family Kathlaniidae and elevated as a separate family, and the genus Cosmocerca is closely related to the genus Aplectana in the family Cosmocercidae. The present study provided a basic molecular phylogenetic framework for the superfamily Cosmocercoidea based on 18S + 28S sequence data for the first time to our knowledge. Moreover, a new species, A. xishuangbannaensis n. sp., was described using integrative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Raorchestes is a large radiation of Old World tree frogs for which the Western Ghats in Peninsular India is the major center for origin and diversification. Extensive studies on this group during the past two decades have resolved long-standing taxonomic confusions and uncovered several new species, resulting in a four-fold increase in the number of known Raorchestes frogs from this region. Our ongoing research has revealed another five new species in the genus, formally described as Raorchestes drutaahu sp. nov., Raorchestes kakkayamensis sp. nov., Raorchestes keirasabinae sp. nov., Raorchestes sanjappai sp. nov., and Raorchestes vellikkannan sp. nov., all from the State of Kerala in southern Western Ghats. Based on new collections, we also provide insights on the taxonomic identity of three previously known taxa. Furthermore, since attempts for an up-to-date comprehensive study of this taxonomically challenging genus using multiple integrative taxonomic approaches have been lacking, here we review the systematic affinities of all known Raorchestes species and define 16 species groups based on evidence from multi-gene (2,327 bp) phylogenetic analyses, several morphological characters (including eye colouration and pattern), and acoustic parameters (temporal and spectral properties, as well as calling height). The results of our study present novel insights to facilitate a better working taxonomy for this rather speciose and morphologically conserved radiation of shrub frogs. This will further enable proper field identification, provide momentum for multi-disciplinary studies, as well as assist conservation of one of the most colourful and acoustically diverse frog groups of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of frogs (Rhacophoridae) from Borneo, Malaysia were examined for helminths: Nyctixalus pictus (n = 4), Philautus hosii (n = 6), and Rhacophorus pardalis (n = 12). We found 3 species of Nematoda, Batrachostrongylus longispiculus, Cosmocerca ornata, and Seuratascaris numidica, 1 species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia sp., and 1 species of Acanthocephala, Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis. No helminth species occurred in more than 1 frog species. The most abundant helminth (7) was C. ornata in R. pardalis. The 3 species of frogs are parasitized by helminths that also infect other species of anurans. Five new host records are reported. A table summarizing helminth records in anurans from Borneo is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Old World tree frog genus Chirixalus is distributed from northeastern India, southern China, continental Southeast Asia to Sumatra and Java. The species of this genus were previously assigned to the genera Chiromantis or Philautus. Here, we describe a newly discovered species of Chirixalus from Java. Chirixalus pantaiselatan, new species, is a small rhacophorid frog (male snout-vent length = 25.3–28.9 mm) that can be distinguished from all congeners using a combination of morphological, molecular, and advertisement call characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and colonization history of Kurixalus , a genus of small arboreal tree frogs breeding exclusively in shallow swamps, is under disputed. On the basis of comprehensive sampling program, the evolutionary history of Kurixalus is investigated based on 3 mitochondrial genes. Our results indicate that the genus Kurixalus originated in the Asian mainland and subsequently arrived at its current distribution in Borneo, Taiwan, Ryukyu, and Hainan islands by a series of dispersal events. Moreover, the colonization of Taiwan from mainland Asia has occurred 2 times. The initial colonization of Taiwan occurred at 3.46–8.68 Mya (95% highest posterior density), which rejects the hypothesis that Kurixalus probably originated from Taiwan during the early Oligocene and favors the model of Neogene-origin rather than the model of Quaternary-origin for Taiwanese Kurixalus. Kurixalus eiffingeri has dispersed from Taiwan to the Ryukyus once or 2 times pending more data. Both transoceanic dispersal and landbridge dispersal have played a role in the colonization process; the former resulted in the colonization of Taiwan and the Ryukyus and the latter led to the colonization of Borneo and Hainan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights a study of the first record of Theloderma pyaukkya Dever and Theloderma moloch in China based on a specimen collected from western Yunnan. It discusses that field surveys were conducted in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, China; and mentions that Theloderma moloch, a species known from India and southern Tibet in China, also reported to occur in Yunnan in the study based on Guangxi Normal University YU000115 from Yingjiang County.

"Hot spring frog" is an informal name used for the Japanese stream tree frog (Buergeria japonica), which is widely distributed in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan. Some populations of the species are known to inhabit hot springs. However, water temperature can be extremely high around the sources of hot springs. Thus, it is questionable whether B. japonica selectively inhabits such dangerous environments. To address this question, we conducted a series of observations of water temperature preferences of a hot spring population of B. japonica in Kuchinoshima Island in Japan: (a) a field observation of tadpole density in water pools of different temperatures, (b) a field observation of water temperatures where adult males appear for breeding, and (c) an indoor observation of water temperatures selected by adult females for oviposition. As a result, tadpoles showed a higher density in cooler water. Adult males avoided water pools hotter than 37°C, and adult females selected cooler pools for oviposition. Camera records also showed that adult individuals tend to appear around cooler pools. Thus, we did not find any support for the hypothesis that hot spring frogs prefer hot water. Conversely, they apparently tended to prefer cooler water if it was available. Water temperatures around the sources of the hot spring exceed thermal tolerances of the species and could be a strong selective pressure on the population. Thus, the ability to sense and avoid lethal temperatures may be a key ecological and physiological characteristic for the species that inhabit hot springs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buergeria japonica, long thought to be a single species widely occurring on the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan, proved to include three genetically differentiated clades, (1) the Northern and Central Ryukyu, (2) the Southern Ryukyu and Northern Taiwan, and (3) the Southern Taiwan clades. The Southern Taiwan clade has already been split from the others as a distinct species. A distinct heterospecific relationship of the Southern Ryukyu and Northern Taiwan clade from the Northern and Central Ryukyu clade was also clear from genetic evidence. Morphological comparison between specimens from the Yaeyama (the Southern Ryukyu and Northern Taiwan clade) and Amamioshima, the type locality of B. japonica (the Northern and Central Ryukyu clade), confirmed genetic differences and corroborate their independent species status. Thus, we describe the Northern Taiwan and Southern Ryukyu clade as B. choui sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Resplendent Shrub Frog, Raorchestes resplendens Biju, Shouche, Dubois, Dutta, & Bossuyt, 2010 is a Critically Endangered species endemic to the Western Ghats and was considered to be restricted to a three-square kilometer patch atop Anamudi summit. In this study, we report 36 new locations of the species from the Anamalai massif of the southern Western Ghats. Niche-based prediction modelling suggests that the species is restricted to Anamalai massif. The call description of this frog is also provided for the first time. The preferred microhabitat of the frog is Chrysopogon grass clumps in the marshy/swampy montane grassland ecosystem. Restricted to a small area with controlled burning management practiced in its habitat, R. resplendens needs immediate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]