Three New Indochinese Species of Cascade Frogs (Amphibia: Ranidae) Allied to Rana archotaphus

Three new frog species allied to Rana archotaphus are described from Laos and Vietnam. One new species from the Hoang Lien Mountains of northwestern Vietnam is characterized by having females with snout-vent length 66–68 mm, no visible pineal body, the first finger shorter than second, width of third finger disc about equal to tympanum diameter, and tympanum of males relatively larger than females. The second new species from northern Laos is characterized by having males with snout-vent length 38–44 mm, no visible pineal body, first finger shorter than second, width of third finger disc equal to the tympanum diameter, venter with very light or no spotting, and venter translucent. The third new species from the Northern Truong Son (Annamite Highlands) of Laos and the Kon Tum Plateau of Vietnam is characterized by having females with snout-vent length 56–57 mm, a visible pineal body, tympanum of males relatively equal to females, the first finger shorter than second, and males with width of third finger disc about half the tympanum diameter. Descriptions are expanded of several species that resemble the two new species: Rana archotaphus, R. daorum, R. iriodes, and Amolops chunganensis.

Figure 1

Collection localities in Vietnam and Laos: (1) Van Ban District, Nam Tha Commune, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam; (2) Phou Dendin National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Phongsaly District, Phongsaly Province, Laos; (3) Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Nakai District, Khammouan Province, Laos; (4) Dac Glei District, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam

Figure 2

Holotype male (AMNH 168730) and paratype female (AMNH 168727) of Rana cucae in amplexus

Figure 3

Holotype of Rana cucae (AMNH 168730): (A) dorsal and (B) ventral view of body (scales = 10 mm); (C) head in lateral view (scale = 5 mm); (D) palmar view of right hand (scale = 5 mm); (E) palmar view of right foot (scale = 5 mm)

Figure 4

Holotype of Rana vitrea (FMNH 258182): (A) dorsal and (B) ventral view of body (scales = 10 mm); (C) head in lateral view (scale = 5 mm); (D) palmar view of right hand (scale = 2.5 mm); (E) palmar view of right foot (scale = 5 mm)

Figure 5

Rana compotrix type specimens from Vietnam and Laos: (A) female from Kon Tum Province, Vietnam; and (B) male and female in amplexus from Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Nakai District, Khammouan Province, Laos

Figure 6

Holotype of Rana compotrix (FMNH 256500): (A) dorsal and (B) ventral view of body (scales = 10 mm); (C) head in lateral view (scale = 5 mm); (D) palmar view of right hand (scale = 5 mm); (E) palmar view of right foot (scale = 5 mm)

Contributor Notes

(RHB) Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, and Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Herpetology), American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79^th Street, New York, New York 10024; (BLS) Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor, Chicago, Illinois 60607; and (NLO) Department of Herpetology, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia. (RHB) bain@amnh.org; (BLS) bstuart@fieldmuseum.org; and (NLO) theloderma@zin.ru Send reprint requests to RHB

Received: 11 Feb 2005

Accepted: 27 Oct 2005