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Friday, January 25th, 2019
| Time | Event | ||||
| 12:00a | [Herpetology • 2019] Scutiger tengchongensis • A New Species of Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) from the Gaoligongshan Mountain Range, China
Abstract During recent surveys in Gaoligongshan Mountain Range, Yunnan Province of China, we collected specimens of Scutiger from a montane stream area at an elevation of 3000 m. Subsequent study based on morphological, molecular, and acoustic data reveals that the newly collected specimens represent an unknown taxon and is described herein: Scutiger tengchongensis, new species. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) relatively small size (adult male SVL 36.0–40.1 mm, n = 8); (2) vomerine teeth absent; (3) dorsum with large prominent, conical-shaped and longitudinal tubercles; (4) large tubercles on dorsum covered by numerous tiny black spines in males in breeding condition; (5) a pair of pectoral glands and a pair of axillary glands present on the chest, and covered by dense tiny black spines in males in breeding condition; (6) pectoral gland about twice the size of axillary gland; (7) inner three fingers with black nuptial spines in males in breeding condition; (8) nuptial spines on first and second fingers larger than those on third finger; (9) black spines on the belly absent; (10) vocal sac absent; and (11) toe webbing rudimentary. The discovery of S. tengchongensis, new species, represents the southernmost record of the genus worldwide, and the new species is the smallest known member of the genus in body size.
Scutiger tengchongensis, new species Distribution and natural history.— Scutiger tengchongensis is only known from its type locality in Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Tengchong city, Yunnan Province of China. The new species was found in a shallow, clear-water rocky stream in montane bamboo forest at approx. 3000 m elevation. .... Etymology.— The specific epithet, ‘‘tengchongensis,’’ is in reference to the type locality, Tengchong City of Yunnan Province, China. As a common name, we suggest ‘‘Tengchong Lazy Toad.’’ Jian-Huan Yang and Xiang-Yuan Huang. 2019. A New Species of Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) from the Gaoligongshan Mountain Range, China. Copeia. 107(1); 10-22. DOI: 10.1643/CH-17-661 | ||||
| 3:05a | [Herpetology • 2019] Polemon ater • A Cryptic New Species of Polemon (Squamata: Lamprophiidae, Aparallactinae) from the Miombo Woodlands of Central and East Africa
Abstract African snake-eaters of the genus Polemon are cryptic, fossorial snakes that mainly inhabit the forests of central, eastern, and western Africa. Molecular results from a previous study demonstrated that Polemon christyi is not monophyletic—two distinct lineages were recovered from Uganda (the type locality) and southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Genetic data indicated differences in sequence divergence and encoded amino acids between these lineages. Based on these molecular differences and diagnostic differences in morphology, we describe the lineage from southeastern DRC as a new species. Literature records indicate that it likely occurs in adjacent Tanzania and Zambia. It is the first species of Polemon to be described in over 70 years.
 Polemon ater, new species Black Snake-eater Etymology.— Derived from the Latin atrum in reference to the grayish black or black dorsal and ventral coloration that is present in all known specimens of P. ater. Frank Portillo, William R. Branch, Colin R. Tilbury, Zoltán T. Nagy, Daniel F. Hughes, Chifundera Kusamba, Wandege M. Muninga, Mwenebatu M. Aristote, Mathias Behangana and Eli Greenbaum. 2019. A Cryptic New Species of Polemon (Squamata: Lamprophiidae, Aparallactinae) from the Miombo Woodlands of Central and East Africa. Copeia. 107(1); 22-36. DOI: 10.1643/CH-18-098 twitter.com/ASIHCopeia/status/1088520488706605057 twitter.com/EliGreenbaumPhD/status/1088526597131587587 |
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