Nothophryne baylissi, Conradie & Bittencourt-Silva & Bittencourt-Silva & Farooq & Loader & and & Tolley, 2018

Conradie, Werner, Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B., Bittencourt-Silva, Farooq, Harith M., Loader, Simon P., and, Michele Menegon & Tolley, Krystal A., 2018, New species of Mongrel Frogs (Pyxicephalidae: Nothophryne) for northern Mozambique inselbergs, African Journal of Herpetology 67 (1), pp. 61-85 : 70-74

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2017.1376714
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15608683
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D8B56C-FFBB-FFF5-FF4D-7C3D4E36FCBB
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Nothophryne baylissi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nothophryne baylissi View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:61F1B19E-8D7F-4628-A1C6-820F1EBA114F

Namuli Mongrel Frog; Namuli Mountain Frog ( Figs 4A–D View Figure 4 , 6A–C View Figure 6 )

Synonym — Nothophryne broadleyi – Timberlake et al. 2009; Conradie et al. 2016 (part) Holotype — NHM UK 2018.02284 (was PEM A11320) adult male, collected from eastern slopes of Ukalini Forest at the base of the two Namuli granite domes (15.3615° S, 37.07211° E, 1 591 m asl), Mozambique by W. Conradie on 27 November 2014. GoogleMaps

Paratype males (18) —a) PEM A11322 , 11324 View Materials , 11326-7 View Materials , 11329 View Materials , 11331 View Materials , 11333 View Materials , 11334-7 View Materials , 11340 View Materials . Same collection details as the holotype GoogleMaps . b) PEM A11342 , 11344-7 View Materials . Collected from Namuli massif on the lower slopes of the granite dome, Mount Pese (15.38642° S, 37.03352° E, 1 110 m asl), Mozambique by G.B. Bittencourt-Silva and H.M. Engelbrecht on 28 November 2014. All specimens were adult males. GoogleMaps

Paratype females (7) —a) NHM UK 2018.02285 (was PEM A11321), PEM A11323 View Materials , 13328 View Materials , 11330 View Materials , 11339 View Materials . Same collection details as holotype. GoogleMaps b) PEM A11343 View Materials . Collected from Namuli massif on the lower slopes of the granite dome, Mount Pese (15.38642° S, 37.03352° E, 1 110 m asl) by G.B. Bittencourt-Silva and H.M. Engelbrecht on 28 November 2014. All specimens are adult females. GoogleMaps

Additional juvenile material (3) — PEM A11325 View Materials , 11332 View Materials , and 11338. Same collection details as holotype .

Diagnosis — Nothophryne baylissi sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Nothophryne by the following: presence of a narrow median lingual process (approximately 0.5 mm) on the dorsal surface of the tongue (from N. broadleyi – up to 1.0 mm long; N. inagoensis sp. nov. – less than 0.2 mm long; N. ribauensis sp. nov. – marginally elevated tubercle; N. unilurio sp. nov. – absent) ( Fig. 2B View Figure 2 ), tympanum obscured or barely visible (clearly visible in N. broadleyi , N. ribauensis sp. nov., N. unilurio sp. nov.), and medium paced call with clusters of notes (compared to higher pitched and evenly spaced call of N. broadleyi , and more complicated call structures of N. ribauensis sp. nov.). The sequences of Nothophryne baylissi sp. nov. differ from the other species of Nothophryne by 5–7% (16S p-distance) and 3–5% (RAG1 p-distance). Nothophryne baylissi sp. nov. is allopatric with all other Nothophryne species.

Etymology —We name this species in honour of Dr Julian Bayliss who was the first to document this unique species of frog from the slopes of Mount Namuli, during the Kew Gardens-Darwin Initiative expedition to these inselbergs ( Timberlake et al. 2009).

Description of the Holotype —Small to medium size frog, SUL 17.9 mm. Body is slender, dorsolateral flattened, widest at armpits. Head broad (HW/SUL 0.39), rounded from above in profile, head length is moderate to short (HL/SUL 0.34). Canthus rostralis rounded, straight from eye to nostril, loreal region slightly sloped outwards towards nostrils. Nostrils small, rounded, directed laterally, teardrop shaped angled downwards and backwards to eye, positioned midway between the eye and the snout (EN/SL 0.50). Internarinal distance is smaller than distance between eye and nostril (IND/EN 0.80). Eyes directed anterolaterally, the eyes protrude, and slightly visible from below, moderate in size (ED/HW 0.32; ED/ HL 0.37), nearly equal to interorbital distance (ED/IOD 1.29). Distance between anterior corners of eyes is much greater to the internostril distance (IOD/IND 1.42). The angle of the jaw slopes slightly upwards posteriorly from snout to just behind eye level. Tympanum obscure, with no clear glandular ridge above tympanum from eye to base of forearm. Jaws without maxillary and premaxillary teeth, lower jaw with small, anterior vomerine odontophore with central projection; choanae small, round, located at anterior margins of the roof of the mouth; tongue long (3.2 mm), same width proximally to distally (∼ 1.5 mm), slightly bifurcated distally, 25% attached to lower jaw, median narrow small median lingual process present on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

The dorsal surfaces of the head, trunk and limbs are rough, with glands and skin folds present, chevron elevated shape on back; the rictal gland is smooth slightly elevated from angle of jaw to form a continues posteriorly ridge just before arm insertion. Supratympanic fold inconspicuous. No gular pouch or flap present, a small slit on the inside of the mouth at the angle of the jaw gives access to the vocal sac. Ventrally smooth, upper jaw protruding over lower jaw, with very light mottled appearance, vocal sac dark with some lighter mottling ( Fig. 5D View Figure 5 ).

The forelimbs are stubby, hands small (HAL/SUL 0.24), fingertips bluntly rounded and slightly swollen. Relative finger lengths I <II <IV <III; subarticular tubercles distinct, rounded, with one on each finger, no proximal subarticular present. No webbing between fingers. Thenar tubercle small, rounded, partially obscured by nuptial pad that reaches the distal phalanx of the first finger; two palmar tubercles small, rounded, and smooth; inner metacarpal tubercle absent; outer metacarpal tubercle present, smaller than mid-palmar metacarpal tubercle. One very small mid-supernumerary palmar tubercle present on the palm at base of Finger III.

Hind limbs moderately long (TL/SUL 0.51; FL/SUL 0.49), feet nearly equal in length of tibia (TL/FL 1.0); thighs are moderately developed, with rough elevated glands on the inner posterior ventral surface; relative toe lengths are I <II <III <V <IV. The toe tips are slightly expanded; subarticular tubercles: one on Toes I to III, two on Toes IV and V. No webbing between toes. Inner metatarsal tubercle conical and prominent, outer metatarsal tubercle absent.

Colour in life ( Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ) —The dorsum green with darker raised glands covered with small white tipped asperities, dorsal lighter yellow to white vertebral line present, light yellow to white interorbital band present, bordered behind by a darker bar. Venter is clear with slight black mottling and blotches. Nuptial pads prominent, but lighter than rest of fingers. Arms and legs are strongly cross-banded.

Colour in preservative —The dorsum very dark with small white tipped asperities on the raised glands, lighter interorbital bar present. Venter immaculate white with some black blotches anterior, throat finely and unevenly black pigmentation up to anterior chest region in line with forearms. The inner thighs and anterior abdomen free of pigmented, forearms slightly pigmented. Palms and soles of feet dark.

Male variation —All males examined showed similar body proportions to the male described above ( Table 2 View Table 2 ; Supplementary Table 4). The males range in SUL from 13.3– 19.5 mm. All, except PEM A11307, 11331 and 11326, have vertebral line. PEM A11326 View Materials and 11322 light dorsum with paired darker blotches. All males have narrow small median lingual process present on the dorsal surface of the tongue. The tympanum is only visible in three ( PEM A11322 View Materials , 11345 View Materials , 11346 View Materials ) out of 18 paratype males.

Female variation —The females range in SUL from 20.7–25.9 mm ( Table 2 View Table 2 ; Supplementary Table 4). White vertebral line present in PEM A11323 View Materials and 11330. White mid-dorsal patch present in PEM A11325 View Materials . Light inter orbital bar and snout present in PEM A11339 View Materials and NHM UK 2018.02285. The tympanum is only visible in three ( PEM A11323 View Materials , 11328 View Materials , 11328 View Materials ) out of seven paratype females.

Advertisement call —The following call description is based on a single male recorded on the eastern slopes of Mount Namuli on 27 November 2014 at approximately 20:00 ( Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ). The call consist out of two high pitched “creak”, which is repeated up to six times in less than 2 s or at a rate of 20 calls per minute with the dominant frequency at 2 096–3 094 Hz and the fundamental frequency at 1 453–1 547 Hz. The call duration is 0.13 ± 0.07 s and is separated from the next call by 0.38 ± 0.31 s (n = 30). Each call comprises out of 5–13 notes, arranged in either clusters of 2–6 notes (n = 5) or evenly spaced (n = 14). Separate note duration is 4.4 ± 1.9 ms, with 12.5 ± 18.1 ms interval between successive notes.

Natural History —Males call exposed from positions near seeping water on the rock face ( Figs 5B View Figure 5 , 6B View Figure 6 ). Eggs are laid in moist moss growing over rock surface ( Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ). Tadpoles live on films of water flowing over rock surface ( Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ).

Distribution —Currently only known from Mount Namuli in central Mozambique.