Boulenophrys changyangensis, Li & Shi & Liu & Zhao & Gao & Wang, 2025

Li, Shize, Shi, Shengchao, Liu, Jing, Zhao, Jingjing, Gao, Shuo & Wang, Bin, 2025, A new species of the Boulenophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from Hubei, China, Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (3), pp. 1213-1226 : 1213-1226

Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov.

Type materials.

Holotype. • MT CY 20220806005 (Figs 3 , 4 ), adult male, from Changyang County, Hubei Province, CHINA (30.5732°N, 110.9404°E, ca. 616 m a. s. l.), collected by Jing Liu on 6 August 2022.

Paratype. Four male specimens collected from the same place as holotype. • MT CY 20220806002 , MT CY 20220806004 , and MT CY 20220806006 collected on 6 August 2022 by Shize Li .

Diagnosis.

Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Boulenophrys based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and the following generic diagnostic characters: snout shield-like; projecting beyond the lower jaw; canthus rostralis distinct; chest glands small and round, closer to the axilla than to midventral line; femoral glands on rear part of thigh; vertical pupils ( Fei and Ye 2016; Lyu et al. 2023).

Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: body size moderate (SVL 39.4–43.3 mm in males); a small horn-like tubercle at edge of each upper eyelid; vomerine ridges and vomerine teeth absent; tongue not notched behind; head width larger than head length; no large, pale-white circular spots on the shoulders; toes without webbing and lateral fringes; heels overlapped when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; an internal single subgular vocal sac in males; in breeding males, the nuptial pads with black nuptial spines on the dorsal bases of the first and second fingers.

Description of holotype: MT CY 20220806005 (Figs 3 , 4 ). SVL 41.3 mm; other measurements are detailed in Table 3 ; head width larger than head length (HDW / HDL ratio about 1.12); snout rounded in dorsal view and protruding beyond lower jaw in profile; canthus rostralis distinct; loreal region sloping; dorsal surface of head flat; nostril orientated laterally, closer to snout than eye; internasal distance slightly larger than interorbital distance; eye large, eye diameter 35.1 % of head length; tympanum distinct, upper margin in contact with supratympanic fold and TYP / EYE ratio 0.79; vomerine ridges and vomerine teeth absent; margin of tongue smooth, not notched behind; a single subgular vocal sac present.

Forelimbs slender, and the length of lower arm and hand is 48.0 % of SVL; relative finger length I <II <IV <III; tips of fingers rounded, slightly dilated; fingers without webbing and lateral fringes; one subarticular tubercle present at base of each finger; two metacarpal tubercles, the inner one prominent and oblong, the outer one smaller and round.

Hindlimbs slender (HLL / SVL ratio 1.57); heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body, tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level to the middle of eye when leg stretched forward; tibia length longer than thigh length; relative toe lengths I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes round, slightly dilated; subarticular tubercles present on the base of each toe; toes without webbing and lateral fringe; inner metatarsal tubercle is oval-shaped, and outer metatarsal tubercle is absent.

Dorsal skin rough; several tubercles on the flanks and dorsal surface of thighs and tibias; a small horn-like tubercle present at edge of upper eyelid; surface of upper eyelid rough, with small tubercles; supratympanic fold distinct, curved over tympanum; X-shaped skin ridge weak; two discontinuous dorsolateral parallel ridges on either side of the X-shaped ridges; Ventral surface with dense tubercles; small tubercles on surface of throat, chest, and forelimbs; glands on chest indistinct closer to axillae; femoral glands distinct, closer to the knee than cloaca.

Coloration of holotype in life.

(Fig. 3 ). In life, dorsal surface brown; between the eyes, an inverted triangular dark-brown speckle is distinctly visible; the X-shaped ridges are dotted with dark-brown speckles; some dark-brown transverse bars on limbs and digits; loreal and temporal regions with brown mottling, iris light brown. The ventral surface of throat dark purple, cheat dark brown, belly white with brown spots interspersed, and irregular black spots on both sides of the belly; surface of ventral limbs purple-brown, with white mottling; digits, inner metacarpal tubercles, and inner metatarsal tubercle grayish white; pectoral glands and femoral glands white (Fig. 4 ).

Coloration of holotype in preservation.

(Fig. 4 ). Color of dorsal surface fades to brownness; the inverted triangular brown speckle between the eyes and X-shaped ridges on dorsum fades indistinct; the throat and anterior chest fade to light brownish, while the abdomen grayish white, fingers and toes grayish white, and the palms and soles dark purple with a reddish tinge (Fig. 4 ).

Variation.

Measurement data for the type series are provided in Table 2 . Morphological diagnostic characters observed in all paratypes were consistent with those of the holotype. However, there were variations in coloration and stripe patterns between individuals (Fig. 5 ). In MT CY 20220806005 , a distinct beige line between the inverted triangular markings and the X-shaped markings on dorsum; in MT CY 20220806005 , the markings on dorsum in a net-like pattern, and the colors of the limbs and the posterior part of the trunk are darker; in MT CY 20220806004 , dorsal surface brown, scattered with small orange-red tubercles, and the abdomen smooth, mostly white with black patches interspersed (Fig. 5 ).

Secondary sexual characters.

Adult males possess a single subgular vocal sac. During the breeding season, there are dark brown nuptial pads at the bases of the first and second fingers, and these pads are covered with fine, dense black nuptial spines.

Distribution and habitats.

Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. is known from the type locality, Changyang County, Hubei Province, China, at elevations of about 600 m. The individuals of the new species were frequently found on the stones in the streams surrounded by evergreen broadleaved forests (Fig. 6 ), and only one sympatric amphibian species, Nanorana quadranus (Liu, Hu, & Yang, 1960) , was found.

Etymology.

The specific epithet changyang refers to the distribution of the species, Changyang County, Hubei Province, China. The suggested common English name is “ Changyang Horned Toad, ” and the Chinese name is “ Cháng Yáng Jiǎo Chán (长阳角蟾) ” for this species.

Figures

Figure 3. Photographs of Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. and its closely related species. A. Holotype specimen MT CY 20220806005 of Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov.; B. Topotype specimen WSA 12 of B. baolongensis; C. Topotype specimen WSA 29 of B. wushanensis; D. Holotype specimen HUNL 03080902 of B. tuberogranulata. A 1 – D 1. Dorsolateral view; A 2 – D 2. Ventral view; A 3 – D 3. Ventral view of hand; A 4 – D 4. Ventral view of foot; A 5. Dorsal view of hand.

Figure 4. The holotype specimen MT CY 20220806005 of Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. (preserved) in A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Dorsal view of hand; D. Ventral view of hand; E. Ventral view of foot.

Figure 5. Color variation in Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. A. Dorsolateral view of the specimen MT CY 20220806003; B. Dorsolateral view of the specimen MT CY 20220806006; C. Dorsolateral view and D. Ventral view of male specimen MT CY 20220806004.

Figure 6. Habitats of Boulenophrys changyangensis sp. nov. at the type locality, Changyang County, Hubei Province, China. s