<italic>Liurana menba</italic> <bold>sp. nov.</bold>, Another New Papilla-tongued Frog Species from Medog, China (Anura, Ceratobatrachidae)
We describe a new frog species of Ceratobatrachidae, assigned to the genus Liurana, from Medog, Xizang, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) smaller body size; (2) head length smaller than head width; (3) tibiotarsal articulation reaching between the eye and nostril when adpressed; (4) distinct tympanum; (5) digital disc absent; (6) metacarpal tubercles absent; (7) metatarsal tubercles indistinctive; (8) supernumerary tubercles below the base of finger absent; and (9) finger Ⅰ much shorter than finger Ⅱ. Phylogenetic analyses based on a single mitochondrial gene, as well as the combined sequences of one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, both support the new species as an independent lineage. In addition, the uncorrected genetic distance of COⅠ between the new species and the closest congener, L. xizangensis, was 9.4%. The discovery of another new species of the genus Liurana from the same region suggests that the diversity within this genus requires more comprehensive investigation.
Authors
- Feng Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0215-667X)
- Bicheng Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8949-0522)
- Shengchao Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2337-6572)
- Bin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6036-5579)
- Yiheng Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6871-0557)
- Haoqi Yu
- Jian-Ping Jiang
Publication Details
- Journal
- Asian Herpetological Research
- Published
- 2025-09-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3724/ahr.2095-0357.2025.0014
- Primary Topic
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Key Programme