Limnonectes oreibates, Dehling & Neokleous & Das & Grafe & Min & Hertwig, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5650.1.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8B8158B-26F9-4E1A-A1CF-A20A72F2D875 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15820495 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/62199F50-FFFA-FFD3-FF34-FF50FCE2F87C |
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Plazi |
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scientific name |
Limnonectes oreibates |
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sp. nov. |
Limnonectes oreibates sp. nov.
Rana palavanensis (nec Rana palavanensis Boulenger, 1894 )— Boulenger 1920: 59 (partim); van Kampen 1923: 182 (partim); Smith 1925: 32.
Rana microdisca palavanensis (nec Rana palavanensis Boulenger, 1894 ): Inger 1966: 222 (partim).
Limnonectes palavanensis View in CoL (nec Rana palavanensis Boulenger, 1894 )— Zainudin et al. 2017: 106.
Holotype. NMBE 1061519 View Materials , adult female, from Borneo Highlands Resort (1.116667°, 110.216667°; 990 m), Gunung Penrissen, Sarawak, Malaysia, collected on 10 March 2012 by S. T. Hertwig, A. Jankowski, Y. M. Pui ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ).
Paratypes. BMNH 1928.11.4, adult female, from Mt. Penrissen , “ N. Borneo ” [= Sarawak], Malaysia, “pres. by M. Smith” (probably collected by Eric Mjöberg; Smith 1925) . UNIMAS P1186 View Materials , adult male, collected on 10 September 2015 by Y. M. Pui ; UNIMAS P1193 View Materials , juvenile, collected on 14 September 2015 by Y. M. Pui and I. Das, both from Summit Trail to Gunung Penrissen, below Batu Panggah, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo) . UNIMAS P1192 View Materials , adult male, from an unnamed forest trail within Borneo Highlands Resort area , Gunung Penrissen , Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo), collected on 14 September 2015 by Y. M. Pui and I. Das ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ) .
Referred specimen. UNIMAS 9737 View Materials , adult male, from the edge of an intermittent stream at Batu Panggah, Borneo Highlands Resort, collected by I. Das on 27 August 2021 .
Diagnosis. Limnonectes oreibates sp. nov. belongs to the L. palavanensis species group, showing the typical characters of the group, including small size (SVL <40 mm); odontoid processes in lower jaw low and inconspicuous in both males and females; dorsum finely shagreened, with prominent longitudinal dorsolateral glandular ridges; interorbital distance equal to or larger than upper eyelid width; toes not fully webbed; and horseshoe-shaped dermal ridge in middle of dorsum posterior to arm insertion. The species differs from all other species of the group by a unique combination of morphological characters, including toe webbing reduced; supratympanic fold weakly curved; pineal spot distinctly discernible, anterior to level of anterior upper-eyelid edge; vomer ridges short, widely separated from each other; postpalpebral ridge weakly developed; lumbar and median ridges absent; size relatively large with SVL of adult males 32.5–33.2 mm, of adult females 35.9–37.1 mm. The species differs from all other species of the group by at least 5.8% in the sequence of the 16S barcoding gene. The advertisement call is a slow chirp, 174–317 ms in duration with a dominant frequency of 1.4–1.6 kHz with weak frequency modulation, given in call bouts of up to 11 calls with an intercall interval of 381–775 ms. The species occurs in montane rainforest at around 1,000 m.
Description of holotype. Adult female; SVL 35.9 mm; body sturdy, widest at temporal region, slightly tapering to groin ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ); head large (HL/SVL 0.38, HW/SVL 0.39), slightly wider than long (HW/HL 1.04); snout moderately long (SL/HL 0.45), rounded in both dorsal view and lateral profile, wider than long (SL/EE 0.94); canthus rostralis distinct between eye and nostril, weakly concave between eye and nostril in dorsal view; loreal region oblique; nostrils oval, directed laterally; situated much closer to tip of snout than to eye (EN/NS 1.21), separated from each other by distance larger than distance between eye and nostril (NN/EN 1.33); eye directed anterolaterally, protruding, moderately large (ED/HL 0.32), its diameter much shorter than snout (ED/SL 0.71); interorbital distance greater than upper eyelid width (IO/EW 1.17) and smaller than internarial distance (IO/NN 0.74); pineal spot distinctly discernible, anterior to level of anterior upper-eyelid edge; tympanum and its annulus distinctly visible; tympanum separated from eye by little more than half its diameter (ET/TD 0.57); tympanum diameter smaller than eye diameter (TD/ED 0.55); upper jaw with dentition; odontoid processes in lower jaw low, inconspicuous; choanae small, rounded, located far anterolaterally at margins of roof of mouth, their lateral half covered by palatal shelf of maxilla in ventral view; vomer processes bearing teeth, short, separated from choana by two-thirds length of individual process, from each other by distance subequal to length of individual process ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ); tongue moderately long and narrow, bilobed for about one-seventh of its length, free distally for about two-thirds its length; median lingual process absent.
Dorsal surfaces of head, trunk and limbs finely shagreened; lateral surfaces of trunk finely areolate with sparsely scattered small tubercles; dorsolateral ridge prominent, from posterior end of upper eyelid to groin; postpalpebral ridge weakly developed; lumbar and median ridges absent; horseshoe-shaped dermal ridge low, in middle of back just behind level of arms; supratympanic fold thick and conspicuous, extending from posterior end of orbit to insertion of arm, weakly curved ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ); few enlarged tubercles on lateral edge of upper eyelid; ventral side of head smooth; transverse chest fold between arm insertions distinct; ventral side of trunk weakly areolate, almost smooth; ventral side of limbs smooth; cloaca without dermal flap.
Forelimbs sturdy; hand relatively small (HND/SVL 0.24); tips of fingers rounded, slightly enlarged into disks; relative length of fingers: II <IV <I <III; subarticular tubercles rounded, well developed, numbering one on Fingers I and II, two on Fingers III and IV, proximal tubercles on Fingers III and IV larger and more prominent than distal ones; finger webbing absent; thenar tubercle distinct, oval, flat, about two-fifths length of metacarpal of Finger I; inner and outer palmar tubercles fused proximally, bipartite for about one-fifth of its length on distal end, otherwise rounded, distinct, covering proximal one-third of metacarpals of Fingers II–IV.
Hindlimbs sturdy, very long (LEG /SVL 1.80); heel reaching beyond tip of snout when legs adpressed forwardly to body; tibiofibula long (TFL/SVL 0.57), slightly longer than thigh (TFL/THL 1.06); heels overlapping each other considerably when knees flexed and thighs held perpendicularly to median plane; foot slightly shorter than tibiofibula (FOT/TFL 0.88); relative length of toes: I <II <III <V <IV; toe tips rounded, enlarged into disks; subarticular tubercles numbering one on Toes I and II, two on Toes III and V, and three on Toe IV; pedal webbing formula I 1.5/2+ II 1+/2.5 III 1.5/3 IV 3/1.5 V ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ); narrow dermal flap on preaxial side of Toe I between metatarsal tubercle and disk and on postaxial side of Toe V, widest from proximal end of metacarpus to proximal subarticular tubercle, continues to disk; inner metatarsal tubercle prominent, elongated, half as long as metatarsus of Toe I; outer metatarsal tubercle absent.
Colouration. In life (based on paratype UNIMAS P1186; Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ) Dorsum mid-brown, with dark interorbital bar demarcating brownish-pink snout from darker dorsum; broad (ca. 2.0 mm) yellowish-cream stripe extending from snout-tip to above cloaca; middorsal stripe edged with black laterally, especially around snout region and at posterior portion terminating with two laterally placed black blotches; dorsolateral fold edged laterally with narrow black stripe; flanks pale grey with faint, scattered mottling; supratympanic fold grey-black; tympanum pinkish yellow; supra- and infralabials blackish-grey, with narrow cream-coloured bars, sometimes incomplete, forming blotches; axillary region, from area behind tympanum to about level of scapula brown-grey, distinctly darker than rest of flanks; upper surfaces of fore- and hindlimbs brownish-pink, with narrow dark crossbands restricted to lower arm and on thigh and shank; digits yellowish-pink with dark crossbars; venter pale, generally unpatterned, except edges of infralabial region, fore- and lower hindlimbs, and on manus and pes, these regions densely pigmented with grey; yellow base colour of lower limbs intense; rest of venter such as gular and abdominal region cream coloured; pupil black; dark brown Maltese cross-like pattern on iris, centred around pupil; iris yellowish-brown, paler peripherally.
In preserved state (based on holotype; Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ), dorsum light brown in centre, lightening to brownish light grey towards dorsolateral folds; interorbital bar wide, blackish brown; supratympanic fold black; narrow black line along dorsolateral fold; dark brown stripe on flanks along dorsolateral fold, anteriorly wider, dark brown and occupying whole area between supratympanic and dorsolateral folds, posteriorly lighter brown and narrower, with irregular ventral edge throughout; flanks with bluish tinge; horseshoe-shaped tubercle dark brown; upper eyelids light blue; tympanum and area around yellowish brown; sides of snout mid-brown; dorsal part of snout and limbs yellowish light brown; lower arms, fingers, legs and toes with regular dark brown narrow crossbars; toe webbing dark brown; ventral side of head, chest, arms and legs yellowish cream-white; faint, small dark brown spots in infralabial region; throat with faint greyish mottling; abdomen hardly pigmented, blueish white; postaxial edge of lower arms, palmar side of hand and plantar side of feet including webbing dark brown; postaxial side of thighs and shanks with dark brown mottling.
Variation. The paratypes match the holotype in general appearance and proportions. Males lack nuptial pads and have weak dermal folds parallel to posterior part of mandible on ventral side of head. The vocal sac aperture is slit-like, directed posterolaterally, situated at corner of mouth. SVL of adult males is 32.5–33.2 mm, of adult females 35.9–37.1 mm ( Table 3). Pedal webbing variation is I 1.5/2+ II 1+/2.5 III 1.5/3 IV 3/1.5 V ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ).
Bioacoustics. Advertisement calls of males (n=2: UNIMAS P1186, P1192) are slow chirps, 174–317 ms in duration with a dominant frequency of 1.4–1.6 kHz, and with weak frequency modulation ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ; Table 3). They are given in call bouts of up to 11 calls, in which individual calls are separated from each other by intervals of 381–775 ms ( Fig. 11E View FIGURE 11 ; Table 3).
Distribution. So far, the species is known only from Gunung Penrissen in western Sarawak ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ), where it has been found at elevations between about 900 and 1,100 m ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ).
Ecology. The number and size of the ripe ova of the females indicate small clutch sizes. A male (UNIMAS 9737) was found carrying tadpoles at the edge of an intermittent stream at Batu Panggah on 27 August 2021.
Etymology. The species epithet derives from the Ancient Greek noun ορειβάτης [oreibátes], meaning “mountaineer”; in allusion to the type locality of the new species on top of Gunung Penrissen.
Suggested English name. Penrissen Guardian Frog.
| T |
Tavera, Department of Geology and Geophysics |
| UNIMAS |
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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Limnonectes oreibates
| Dehling, Maximilian, Neokleous, Dario N., Das, Indraneil, Grafe, Ulmar, Min, Pui Yong & Hertwig, Stefan T. 2025 |
Limnonectes palavanensis
| Zainudin, R. & Alaudin, N. A. & Naim, N. & Amran, M. F. & Sungif, N. A. M. & Deka, E. Q. A. & Agoh, M. M. A. & Rais, S. M. & Shen, A. Y. W. & Pin, A. S. K. & Rahim, N. A. A. & Rais, S. M. & Zulkifli, N. H. & Tan, Y. J. & Tham, V. 2017: 106 |
Rana microdisca palavanensis
| Inger, R. F. 1966: 222 |
Rana palavanensis
| Smith, M. A. 1925: 32 |
| van Kampen, P. N. 1923: 182 |
| Boulenger, G. A. 1920: 59 |