Nothophryne unilurio

Nothophryne unilurio is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae described in 2018.[3] It is endemic to Taratibu Nills in northern Mozambique. The specific name unilurio is derived from Lúrio University, or Unilúrio, the name of a Mozambican university responsible for the research that culminated with the finding of the new species.

Nothophryne unilurio
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pyxicephalidae
Genus: Nothophryne
Species:
N. unilurio
Binomial name
Nothophryne unilurio
Conradie, Bittencourt-Silva, Farooq, Loader, Menegon, and Tolley, 2018[2]
Nothophryne unilurio is only known from the Taratibu Hills in northern Mozambique

Description

The type series consists of two adult males that measure 17 and 19 mm (0.67 and 0.75 in) in snout–urostyle length. N. unilurio can be distinguished from other Nothophryne species by the following characteristics: absence of a median lingual process on the dorsal surface of the tongue, tympanum clearly visible (obscured in Nothophryne baylissi). Its genome sequence differs from the other species in the genus by 6–7% (16S p-distance) and 4–5% (RAG1 p-distance). This species is allopatric with all other Nothophryne species.[2][4]

Distribution

Currently only known from low lying inselbergs in north eastern Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique. The type locality is situated at the Taratibu's Conservancy Area, near the Base camp, in the Quirimbas National Park.[2]

Ecology

Males call hidden from under rocks and moss near streams which is found on exposed rock surface. Freshly laid eggs and tadpoles were seen on a tiny film of water flowing over rock surface.[2]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Mertensophryne micranotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T149286221A113771245. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T149286221A113771245.en.
  2. Conradie, Werner; Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B.; Farooq, Harith M.; Loader, Simon P.; Menegon, Michele & Tolley, Krystal A. (22 February 2018). "New species of Mongrel Frogs (Pyxicephalidae: Nothophryne) for northern Mozambique inselbergs". African Journal of Herpetology. 67 (1): 61–85. doi:10.1080/21564574.2017.1376714.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Nothophryne unilurio Conradie, Bittencourt-Silva, Farooq, Loader, Menegon, and Tolley, 2018". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  4. Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B.; Conradie, Werner; Siu-Ting, Karen; Tolley, Krystal A.; Channing, Alan; Cunningham, Michael; Farooq, Harith M.; Menegon, Michele & Loader, Simon P. (June 2016). "The phylogenetic position and diversity of the enigmatic mongrel frog Nothophryne Poynton, 1963 (Amphibia, Anura)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 99: 89–102. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.03.021. hdl:2263/56218. PMID 27001603.
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