Corresponding author: Paul M. Oliver (
Academic editor Uwe Fritz
The mountains of New Guinea are home to species-rich but poorly understood communities of stream or torrent-breeding pelodryadid treefrogs. Here we describe a new species of moderately sized torrent-breeding
Oliver PM, Iskandar DT, Richards SJ (2023) A new species of torrent-breeding treefrog (Pelodryadidae:
The mountains of New Guinea are home to a diverse and highly endemic frog biota (
There has been a steady accumulation of new species of torrent-breeding
Following recent papers on the taxonomy of Australopapuan treefrogs (e.g.,
Frogs were located using head torches and by tracking advertisement calls. Voucher specimens were fixed in 10% formalin, stored in 70% ethanol and lodged in the
Calls were recorded using a Sony Professional Walkman recorder with an Electret ECM-Z200 Condenser Microphone. We analysed calls using Avisoft-SASLab Pro (v4.34, available from Avisoft Bioacoustics:
Comparative material (Appendix
A species of
Adult male with vocal slits and pale-brown nuptial pads. Body moderately slender, limbs long (
Type series of
Details of holotype of
Skin of dorsum and dorsal surfaces of limbs smooth except for scattered low, indistinct tubercles (Fig.
Fingers moderately long with prominently expanded terminal discs (
Dorsal base colouration mottled varying shades of light brown, patterned with scattered darker-brown maculations across snout, back and limbs, with larger indistinct darker-brown blotches on hindblimbs and posterior portion of torso (Fig.
Measurements and proportions of males in the type series show relatively limited variation (Table
Summary of measurement data for the type series of
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Sex | m | m | m | m | f |
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31.3 | 30.4 | 31.4 | 31.8 | 48.9 |
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18.7 | 16.6 | 17.8 | 19 | 29.2 |
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10.5 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.9 | 15 |
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10.9 | 10.6 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 14.8 |
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4 | 4 | 3.8 | 4 | 5 |
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1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2 |
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2.7 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.5 |
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3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
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2.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.5 |
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1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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2.4 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2 | 2.9 |
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1.3 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
0.6 | 0.55 | 0.57 | 0.6 | 0.6 | |
0.34 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.31 | |
0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.3 | |
1.04 | 1.06 | 1.09 | 1.03 | 0.99 | |
0.73 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.8 | 0.69 | |
0.13 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.1 | |
0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 | |
0.35 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.38 | 0.4 | |
0.07 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | |
0.08 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | |
1.62 | 1.45 | 1.5 | 1.55 | 1.32 | |
1.85 | 1.8 | 1.58 | 1.67 | 1.61 | |
1.14 | 1.13 | 1.06 | 1.18 | 1.16 |
The single female paratype,
The following description of colour in life is based on images of three different paratypes (Fig.
Colouration of
We analysed two call series produced by
Two complete advertisement call series produced by paratype of
Latin, “little spear’, combining spear “
Known distribution of
Details of habitat at the type locality for
The combination of predominantly brown dorsal colouration, canthus rostralis sharply defined and straight, snout tip pointed in dorsal view, moderate webbing on fingers, and moderate size (adult male
In comparison to other torrent-breeding
Comparison of head profile of a male paratype of
Material of
Colour variation and habitats details for male
Summary measurements of the new adult male
Summary of measurement data for adult
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Sex | F | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M |
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44.8 | 27 | 27.2 | 27.3 | 28 | 28 | 27.3 | 27.2 | 29.1 | 28 |
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27.7 | 16.4 | 17.2 | 16.1 | 17 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 16.8 | 16.9 | 17.6 |
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14.2 | 10.5 | 10 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 9.8 |
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14.6 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 9.4 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 11 | 10.4 |
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4.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
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1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
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3.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2 | 2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
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5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
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2.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
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1.7 | 1 | 0.9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1 | 1.1 |
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2.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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1.4 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 |
0.62 | 0.61 | 0.63 | 0.59 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.62 | 0.58 | 0.63 | |
0.32 | 0.39 | 0.37 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.35 | |
0.33 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.36 | |
1.03 | 0.97 | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.04 | 1.01 | 1.05 | 1.03 | 1.05 | 1.06 | |
0.64 | 0.57 | 0.61 | 0.65 | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.65 | 0.64 | |
0.11 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | |
0.04 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.05 | |
0.38 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.4 | 0.44 | 0.31 | 0.4 | |
0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | |
0.06 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | |
1.41 | 1.5 | 1.56 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.6 | 1.36 | |
2 | 1.9 | 1.89 | 1.72 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.56 | 1.88 | 1.7 | 1.7 | |
1.17 | 1.27 | 1.21 | 1.19 | 1.14 | 1.07 | 1.08 | 1.15 | 1.06 | 1.13 |
The new specimens from Tualapa in the upper Strickland River basin were collected from trees along a large torrential stream with a rocky substrate flowing through relatively undisturbed lower montane forest at an altitude of 1,100 m a.s.l. (Fig.
The description of
We thank BRIN (formerly LIPI) for permission to undertake research in Papua Province and for providing export permits. Ibu Mumpuni and Ibu Lili at the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense were particularly helpful with approving export permits and registering specimens. This research was part of Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program, and their assistance is greatly appreciated. Funding support was provided by the CI-USAID Cooperative agreement #PCE-5554-A-00-4028-00. SJR is grateful to Andy Mack, Dr Jatna Supriatna, and Burke Burnett for their support in the field. P.T. Freeport Indonesia provided logistical support. Data collection and manuscript preparation was supported by grants from Re:wild, the Mark Mitchell Foundation, the Winifred Violet Scott Trust, and the South Australian Museum Board. We thank the following curators and collection managers for access to specimens in their care: Carolyn Kovach, Mark Hutchinson and Dominic Capone (
Comparative material examined for this study. Institutional codes are explained in methods. PNG = Papua New Guinea.