Leptobrachella yongshunensis Huang, Wu, Jiang & Zhang, 2025

Leptobrachella yongshunensis Huang, Wu, Jiang & Zhang sp. nov.

Fig. 5 View Figure 5

Material examined.

Holotype. China · ♂; Hunan Province, Yongshun County, Hunan Xiaoxi National Nature Reserve ; 28.809°N, 110.261°E, ca. 500 m a. s. l.; 5 Jul. 2024; Jie Huang leg., JSUHJ 2024005 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. China · 2 ♂; same locality data as for holotype · 1 ♂; 28.756°N, 110.243°E, ca. 260 m a. s. l.; 20 Mar. 2024; Jie Huang leg.; JSUHJ 2024006 , JSUHJ 2024007 GoogleMaps . China · 1 ♀; same collected information as for holotype · 1 ♂; JSUHJ 2024004 GoogleMaps . China · 1 ♀; same locality data as for holotype · 1 ♂; 28.756°N, 110.243°E, ca. 260 m a. s. l.; 20 Mar. 2024; Jie Huang leg.; JSUHJ 2024008 GoogleMaps . China · 1 ♀; same locality data as for holotype · 1 ♂; 24 Jul. 2020; Tao Wu leg.; JSUWT 2020001 GoogleMaps . China · 3 subadults; same locality data as for holotype · 1 ♂; 28.756°N, 110.243°E, ca. 260 m a. s. l.; 20 Mar. 2024; Jie Huang leg.; JSUHJ 2024001 , JSUHJ 2024002 , JSUHJ 2024003 GoogleMaps . China · 2 subadults; same locality data as for holotype · 1 ♂; 24 Jul. 2020, Tao Wu leg.; JSUWT 2020002 , JSUWT 2020003 GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The specific epithet, yongshunensis, is derived from the distribution of this species, Yongshun County, Hunan Province, China. The suggested common name is “ 永顺掌突蟾 (pinyin: yǒnɡ shùn zhǎnɡ tū chán) ” in Chinese and “ Yongshun leaf-litter toad ” in English.

Diagnosis.

(Table 2 View Table 2 ) Leptobrachella yongshunensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congers by the following characters: SVL 27.2–28.9 mm in males, 26.2–31.6 mm in females; black spots on flanks; toes webbing rudimentary; narrow fringes on toes; creamy white ventral body with indistinct black speckling at margins; dorsal body with sparse large warts, dense little wart grains, and longitudinal ridges; head width greater than the head length; tibiotarsal articulation reaching to the anterior edge of the eye; brick-red color in the dorsal surface; upper parts of iris bright coppery in life.

Description of holotype.

(Figs 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , Table 2 View Table 2 ) Adult male, body size medium ( SVL 28.9 mm); head width ( HDW 9.5 mm) greater than head length ( HDL 7.4 mm); snout rounded in ventral and lateral views, projecting slightly beyond margin of the lower jaw; nostril closer to snout than eye; loreal region particularly oblique; eye diameter ( ED 3.5 mm) slightly shorter than snout length (SL 3.7 mm); eyes notably protuberant in the dorsal and lateral views, pupil vertical, copper-colored iris; tympanum distinct, rounded; tympanum diameter ( TD 1.8 mm) about half the eye diameter, upper margin in contact with supratympanic ridge; tongue notched behind; vomerine teeth absent; supratympanic ridge distinct, extending from the posterior corner of the eye to the supra-axillary gland.

Fore-limb relatively long ( LAL 13.4 mm); relative length of fingers III > II = IV > I; finger tips rounded, slightly swollen; subarticular tubercles absent; inner palmar tubercle large and rounded, connected with a smaller, tear drop outer palmar tubercle. Hindlimbs slender and long ( HLL 42.8 mm), heels overlapping when legs at right angle to body, tibiotarsal articulation reaching anterior corner of eye; tibia length (TL 13.8 mm) about half of snout-vent length; relative length of toes IV > III > V > II > I; toes webbing rudimentarily, narrow fringes on toes; toe tips rounded and thickened; all subarticular tubercles absent, replaced by longitudinal dermal ridges, extending on phalanges and interrupted at the articulations; inner metatarsal tubercle elongated, oval; outer metatarsal tubercle absent.

Dorsal with sparse large warts, dense little wart grains, and longitudinal ridges; upper eyelids and limbs with small tubercles; flanks with distinct larger glandular warts forming two rows; white conical spines present on lateral and ventral surface of tarsus, surface of tibiotarsal, inner-side surface of shank, and surface around cloacal region; pectoral gland and femoral gland oval; femoral glands situated on the posteroventral surface of thigh, closer to knee than to vent; supra-axillary gland raised; ventrolateral gland line distinctly visible.

Coloration of holotype in life.

(Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ) Dorsal surface brick-red with a dark inverted triangular marking in the interorbital region and followed by a “ W ” shaped coppery orange mark between axillae; three vertical bars present at the snout region; supratympanic line weak, lower edge black; granules brick-red, present on dorsum, flanks, and limbs; moderate black spots present on flanks; glandular warts on flanks white to orange; suprabrachial gland yellow; transverse bars present on lower arms and legs, as well as fingers and toes; elbow and upper arms coppery orange. Ventral surface of throat grayish pink; ventral surface of limbs dark purple; chest grayish pink with creamy white pigmentation; belly creamy white with indistinct black speckling at margins; ventrolateral glands whitish orange, femoral and pectoral glands white; iris bicolored, coppery in the upper half, fading to dark silver in the lower half.

Coloration of holotype in preservative.

(Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ) The background color on the dorsum faded to dark brown; dark vertical bars, transverse bars, and black spots distinct; the orange color on tubercles, glands, and elbow completely faded; ventral surfaces of limbs meat-white with dark pigmentations present at the edge of jaw and margin of belly, sparse pigmentations vaguely visible on the chin and chest; ventral surfaces of body gradually fading to reveal the color of the internal liver and other organs; iris uniformly dark gray.

Variations.

Measurements of specimens are presented in Suppl. material 1: table S 5. The color of the subadult dorsal body is brown or dark brown ( JSUHJ 2024001 , Fig. 7 B 1 View Figure 7 ; JSUHJ 2024003 Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ), dorsal surface of head and trunk reddish brown; shape mark edges of specimen JSUHJ 2024008 have no other color (Fig. 7 A 1 View Figure 7 ).

Distribution, habitat, and life history.

(Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 8 View Figure 8 ) Leptobrachella yongshunensis sp. nov. is currently distributed in Hunan Xiaoxi National Nature Reserve, Yongshun County, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. All newly metamorphosed subadults were observed on the stone walls or wooden stakes by the stream in July (Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ). On March 20, two adult males, JSUHJ 2024006 and JSUHJ 2024007 , were observed in a crevice with flowing water, and they were chirping. Specimen JSUHJ 2024008 was discovered on the rocks by the stream on March 20. Specimens JSUHJ 2024004 and JSUHJ 2024005 were discovered on the layer of fallen leaves on July 5, without chirping. All L. yongshunensis sp. nov. specimens were found distributed at 260–500 m altitudes. The new species reproduces in streams approximately around March and might conceal itself in the leaf litter layer at other times. Tadpoles completely metamorphose and crawl on rock stakes in breeding grounds in July.