Zhangixalus thaoae sp. nov., a new green treefrog species from Vietnam (Anura, Rhacophoridae)

• DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.104851
• Publication Date: 2024-04-08T13:51:05Z
• Authors: Tao Thien Nguyen; Huy Hoang Nguyen; Hoa Thi Ninh; Linh Tu Hoang Le; Hai Tuan Bui; Nikolai Orlov; Chung Van Hoang; Thomas Ziegler
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Sarcopterygii; Gastropoda; Asteraceae; 01 natural sciences; Littorinimorpha; Pisanianura; Amphibia; Magnoliopsida; Gnathostomata; morphology; Caenogastropoda; Animalia; Chordata; Plantae; Laubierinidae; molecular phylogeny; Vertebrata; Tetrapoda; new species; Rhacophoridae; Zhangixalus; Asterales; Biota; Arctium; Lao Cai Province; Tracheophyta; QL1-991; Osteichthyes; Mollusca; Carduoideae; Tonnoidea; 16S rRNA gene; Anura; Rhacophorinae; Zoology; Research Article

We describe a new treefrog species from Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Zhangixalus based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsum green, smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1–32.2 in males); (2) fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; (3) absence of dermal folds along limbs; (4) absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal surface of the head and body green without spots; (2) axilla and groin cream with a black blotch; (3) ventral cream without spot; (4) chin creamy with grey marbling; anterior part of the thigh and ventral surface of tibia orange without spots; posterior parts of thigh orange with a large black blotch; (5) ventral side of webbing orange with some grey pattern (6) iris red-bronze, pupils black; (7) finger webbing formula I1¼-1¼II1-2III1-1IV, toe webbing formula I½-½II0-1½III¼-1¾IV1¾-½V. Phylogenetically, the new species is nested in the same subclade as Z. jodiae, Z. pinglongensis, and Z. yaoshanensis, with genetic distances ranging from 3.23% to 4.68%. The new species can be found in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of about 1,883 m a.s.l. This new discovery brings the number of known genus Zhangixalus species to 42 and the number of species reported from Vietnam to 10.