Vertebrate Zoology 64(1): 95-102, doi:

An enigmatic new Scaphiophryne toadlet from the rainforests of north-eastern Madagascar (Amphibia: Microhylidae)

Achille P. Raselimanana, Christopher J. Raxworthy, Franco Andreone, Frank Glaw, Miguel Vences^‡

‡ Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany

Corresponding author: Miguel Vences ( m.vences@tu-bs.de )

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: Raselimanana AP, Raxworthy CJ, Andreone F, Glaw F, Vences M (2014) An enigmatic new Scaphiophryne toadlet from the rainforests of north-eastern Madagascar (Amphibia: Microhylidae). Vertebrate Zoology 64(1): 95-102

Abstract

A new species of Scaphiophryne is described from north-eastern Madagascar. The new toadlet species is probably at least partly fossorial as can be judged from its large and sharp metatarsal tubercle, and seems to lead a secretive or strictly seasonal life since very few adult specimens were collected despite intensive field surveys in the region. The new species differs from all other Scaphiophryne, among other characters, by the absence of a tarsal tubercle and reminds the genus Paradoxophyla in its strongly marbled ventral pattern on belly and hindlimbs, and by its triangular head shape with pointed snout.

Keywords

Anura; Microhylidae; Scaphiophryne; Scaphiophryne matsoko sp. n.; Marotondrano Special Reserve; tarsal tubercle