Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomy & Inventories
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Corresponding author: Anh Van Pham (phamanh@hus.edu.vn)
Academic editor: Franco Andreone
Received: 08 Mar 2024 | Accepted: 18 Apr 2024 | Published: 08 May 2024
© 2024 Vinh Dau, Cuong Pham, Truong Quang Nguyen, Toan Thai, Anh Tran, Anh Pham
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Dau V, Pham C, Nguyen TQ, Thai T, Tran A, Pham A (2024) New records of amphibians from Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e122598. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e122598
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Since the establishment of the Vu Quang National Park in 2002 in Ha Tinh Province, central Vietnam, several surveys on the amphibian fauna have been undertaken in this protected area. In 2009, Nguyen et al. provided a list of 23 amphibian species from Vu Quang National Park. In addition, a new species was described in 2021 from the National Park, namely Vietnamophryne vuquangensis.
As a result of our field surveys in 2013 and 2023, a total of 29 species of amphibians was recorded from the Vu Quang National Park. Six of them are recorded for the first time from Ha Tinh Province, comprising three species of Megophryidae, one species of Dicroglossidae, one species of Ranidae and one species of Rhacophoridae. In addition, we provide morphological data and ecological notes on the aforementioned species.
distribution, frogs, morphology, taxonomy, Vu Quang National Park
The Vu Quang National Park (NP), located in Ha Tinh Province of Vietnam, was established by Decision No. 102/TTg of the Prime Minister on 30 July 2002 with an area of 55,029 hectares (
In terms of amphibian diversity, Ha Tinh Province is one of the most poorly-studied provinces in Vietnam. In their herpetofaunal list of Vietnam,
Based on our recent fieldwork in Vu Quang NP, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam in 2013 and 2023, we herein report six new provincial records of amphibians for Ha Tinh Province.
Sampling
Field surveys were conducted in Vu Quang NP, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam from 15 to 30 June 2013 by Dau QV, Thai CT, Nguyen VH and Tran DA and from 18 to 27 December 2023 by Pham VA and Tran DA The coordinates (WGS 84) and elevations were determined by using the GPS Garmin 62SX (Fig.
Specimens were collected by hand between 19:00 and 22:00 h pm. After taking live photographs, specimens were euthanised in a closed vessel with a piece of cotton wool containing ethyl acetate (
Morphological characters
Measurements were taken with a digital caliper to the nearest 0.1 mm. Abbreviations are as follows: (SVL) snout-vent length; (HL) head length, from posterior corner of mandible to tip of snout; (HW) maximum head width, at the angle of jaws; (RL) rostral length, from anterior corner of orbit to tip of snout; (IN) internarial distance; NS: distance from anterior edge of nostril to tip of snout; (EN) distance from anterior corner of eye to posterior edge of nostril; (ED) eye length, from anterior corner to posterior corner of eye; (IOD) minimum distance between upper eyelids; (UEW) maximum width of upper eyelid; (TD) maximum tympanum diameter; (TYE) tympanum-eye distance, from anterior margin of tympanum to posterior corner of the eye); (HAL) hand length, from elbow to tip of third finger; (FL) thigh length, from vent to knee; (TbL) shank length. For webbing formula, we followed
Morphological characters of the specimen from Ha Tinh Province matched descriptions of
Skin: Dorsal surface with fine network of ridges, tubercles present in the posterior region of sacrum, more distinct in anterior part of vent; upper lip without spines in male; supratympanic fold present, from posterior edge of eye to axilla; flanks granular; throat and chest asperities; belly and ventral surfaces of limbs smooth, except for granular thigh.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface of head reddish-brown, with some dark spots on upper eyelid, back with irregularly black spots; supratympanic fold edged in black below; flank light brown with large black spots; anterior part of thigh with large dark spots; dorsal limb light brown with dark crossbars; ventral surface with irregular brown and cream markings (Fig.
In Vietnam, this species was recorded from Son La and Nghe An Provinces (
The specimen was found on the ground near a small stream at 19:15 h pm. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of large hardwood and shrubs.
Morphological characters of the specimen from Ha Tinh Province relatively matched descriptions of
Fore-limb slender (HAL 15.7 mm); relative finger lengths I ≤ II < IV < III; fingers without dermal fringe, free of webbing; tips of fingers round, not swollen; subarticular tubercles indistinct; palmar tubercles indistinct; nuptial pads absent in males. Hind-limb slender, tibia longer than thigh (TbL 19.8 mm, FL 18.5 mm); relative toe lengths I < II < V < III < IV; tips of toes round, slightly swollen; webbing rudiment; toes dermal fringe absent; metatarsal tubercle indistinct; subarticular tubercles indistinct; tibiotarsal articulation reaching to anterior corner of eye when limb adpressed along body.
Skin: Dorsal surface smooth, with sparse small granules; dorsum with a weak discontinuous V-shaped ridge; dorsolateral ridges discontinuous; flanks with small glandular warts; supratympanic fold present, from posterior corner of eye to axilla; outer margin of upper eyelid with weak medial bumped appendage; around cloaca with small tubercles; ventral surface smooth.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface light yellowish-brown; a dark brown triangular marking between eyes; upper lip with vertical dark bars; ventral surface white, a round white spot present on each side of the chest; ventral surface of limbs reddish (Fig.
In Vietnam, this species has been recorded from Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Son La and Thanh Hoa Provinces (
The specimen was found on a tree near a small stream at 22:00 h pm. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of medium hardwoods and shrubs.
The specimen from Ha Tinh differs from the description of
Morphological characters of the specimen from Ha Tinh Province matched the description of
Skin: Dorsal surface smooth with sparse small granules; a weak discontinuous X- shaped ridge on centre of dorsum, dorsolateral ridges present; outer margin of upper eyelid with a weak medial bumped appendage; flank with sparse large tubercles; supratympanic fold present, from posterior edge of eye to axilla; ventral surface smooth.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface brown-yellowish, with a triangular marking between eyes, a Y-shaped marking on centre of dorsum; dorsal limb with dark transverse bands; throat and chest brown, with a round white spot on each side of the chest present; ventral surface whitish, ventral surface of limbs reddish (Fig.
In Vietnam, this species is knnown from Dien Bien, Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Quang Tri Provinces (Frost 2024). Elsewhere, this species is known from China, Laos and Thailand (
The specimen was found on the tree at 20:24 h pm. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of medium hardwoods and shrubs.
Xenophrys lancangica closely resembles X. maosonensis and X. truongsonensis, but it differs from X. maosonensis by having the tibiotarsal articulation reaching to the position between nostril and tip of snout (vs. reaching to centre of eye in X. maosonensis) (
Morphological characters of the specimens from Ha Tinh Province matched the descriptions of
Skin: Dorsal surface with oval, round and elongate tubercles; flank covered by oval and round tubercles; supratympanic fold present, from posterior corner of eye to angle of jaw; ventral surface smooth.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface yellowish-brown; dorsal limbs light brown with indistinct dark crossbars; throat white with brown markings; ventral surface of limbs, chest and belly immaculate white (Fig.
In Vietnam, this species was recorded from Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Son La, Vinh Phuc, Nghe An, Thua Thien Hue and Kon Tum Provinces (
All specimens were found near waterfalls in rocky streams between 20:00 and 22:00 h pm. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of large and medium hardwoods mixed with shurbs.
Our specimens from Ha Tinh Province slightly differ from those in descriptions of
Morphological characters of the specimens from Ha Tinh Province matched the description of
Skin: Dorsal surface smooth; supratympanic fold present, from posterior edge of eye to axilla; glandular dorsolateral fold present; flank smooth; ventral surface smooth.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface green, with dark brown speckling diurnally, lateral side of body dark brown below edge of dorsolateral fold; lip stripe white, from tip of snout to posterior of arm insertion; dorsal surface of limbs greyish-brown with dark crossbars; ventral surface of jaw, throat, chest and belly white; ventral surface of limbs cream (Fig.
In Vietnam, this species was recorded from Nghe An, Quang Binh, Thua Tien Hue and Kon Tum Provinces (
All specimens were found on a leaf or tree branches near small streams between 19:30 and 21:00 h pm. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of large hardwoods and shrubs.
Morphological characters of specimens from Ha Tinh Province matched the descriptions of
Skin: Dorsal surface with small tubercles; supratympanic fold present, from posterior edge of eye to axilla; along outer edge of forearm with a row of warts, forming a serrated fringe; along outer edge of tarsus and metatarsus with a series of tubercles forming serrated dermal fringe; below vent with a patch of white pustules; ventral surfaces granulated.
Colouration in life: Dorsal surface yellowish-brown or greenish-brown, with a dark-brown interorbital bar in triangle shape and a dark-brown Y-shaped saddle-like marking on the back; flank light brown with indistinct brownish spots; dorsal limbs brown with dark crossbars; a white conical projection on tibiotarsal articulation; ventral surface with dark-grey mottling, becoming denser on throat, more sparse on chest and belly (Figs
In Vietnam, this species was recorded from Lao Cai and Ha Giang Provinces (
All specimens were found on leaves near large streams between 21:00 and 22:00 h. The surrounding habitat was evergreen forest of large hardwoods and shrubs.
Our new records bring the total number of amphibian species from Ha Tinh Province to 42, comprising one species of Ichthyophiidae, two species of Bufonidae, seven species of Megophryidae, six species of Microhylidae, seven species of Dicroglossidae, ten species of Ranidae and nine species of Rhacophoridae. Most of records of the amphibian fauna in Ha Tinh Province are known from Ke Go Nature Reserve (30 species) and Vu Quang NP (29 species), of which 22 species occur in both Ho Ke Go Nature Reserve and Vu Quang NP (Suppl. material
According to
We are grateful to the directorates of Vu Quang ASEAN Heritage Park for support of our fieldwork and issuing relevant permits. This research has been done under the research project QG.23.18 of Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
List of amphibians species recorded in Vu Quang NP and Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam.