Tomopterna banhinensis Channing, Pietersen & Dawood, 2025, sp. nov.
Year: 2025
Type: other
Abstract: Tomopterna banhinensis sp. nov. Mozambique Sand Frog urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 71490F4F-381C-4765-AB62-82695545CFE1 Figs. 3, 4. Holotype. A male, TM85588, field number BNP016 (Fig. 3), collected 26 November 2007 by Errol W. Pietersen in Banhine National Park, Mozambique, on the edge of a dry wetland (22.6328° S, 33.2673° E). Paratypes (eight specimens). A female, TM85589, from Fish Eagle Research Camp, Banhine National Park, Mozambique, collected 26 November 2007. Three males and four females, TM85562 – TM85568, from the same locality, collected 7 April 2007. Additional material (two specimens in poor condition).Adult males, PEM A15572 and PEM A15573, collected 20 December 1991 by Alan Channing, from outside Beira, Mozambique (19.7793° S, 34.8299° E). Diagnosis. The new species is similar to all other species of sand frogs in morphology and burrowing behaviour. It has an advertisement call of a rapidly-repeated series of high-pitched notes, the most common type of vocalisation in sand frogs. We assign it to the genus Tomopterna based on the presence of teeth on the maxilla, the inner metatarsal tubercle strongly flanged, the outer metatarsals bound into the sole, and the presence of vomerine teeth, all characters that distinguish the genus Tomopterna (Poynton 1964) and the similarity of 16S rRNA sequences. The new species has single subarticular tubercles under the toes, distinguishing it from those with divided tubercles: T. ahli, T. branchi, T. delalandii, T. elegans, T. gallmanni, T. kachowskii, T. krugerensis, T. luganga, T. marmorata, T. monticola, T. tandyi, T. tuberculosa and T. wambensis. It has more than three phalanges of the fourth toe free of web, distinguishing it from those with more webbing: T. cryptotis, T. elegans, T. gallmanni, T. luganga, T. marmorata, T. milletihorsini, T. monticola, T. tandyi and T. wambensis. There is a continuous row of glands below the tympanum, distinguishing it from T. branchi, T. delalandii and T. marmorata which have a row of isolated glands, and T. luganga, T. milletihorsini, T. monticola, and T. wambensis which have interrupted rows of glands. This feature is variable in T. elegans, T. gallmanni, T. kachowskii, T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa. The tympanum is distinct, distinguishing it from those with a hidden tympanum: T. adiastola, T. cryptotis, T. milletihorsoni and T. tandyi. The nostrils are closer to the snout tip than to the eyes, distinguishing it from T. adiastola, T. branchi, T. cryptotis, T. gallmanni, T. marmorata, T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa. The tympanum is round, distinguishing it from those species where the tympanum is not visible or is vertically elliptical: T. adiastola, T. delalandii, T. gallmanni, T. krugerensis, T. luganga, T. milletihorsini, T. monticola, and T. tandyi. The tympanum is variable in T. cryptotis, T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa. The ventral surface is smooth, distinguishing it from the granular ventral surfaces of T. kachowskii, T. krugerensis and T. tandyi. The back is smooth or has small warts, distinguishing it from T. gallmanni, T. pulchra and T. tuberculosa, which have prominent dorsal tubercles. The advertisement call consists of a rapidly-repeated series of high-pitched notes, distinguishing it from the knocking call of T. krugerensis and T. gallmanni and the tapping call of T. tuberculosa and T. pulchra. It can be distinguished from species with a higher emphasised frequency: T. adiastola, T. ahli, T. branchi, T. cryptotis, T. marmorata, T. natalensis, and T. wambensis. Tomopterna luganga has a much lower emphasised frequency. The emphasised frequency and the note rate of T. banhinensis sp. nov. may overlap with that of T. delalandii and T. tandyi, but these species do not occur with the Mozambique taxon (Table 3). Description of holotype. A male (Fig. 3) SVL 43.3 mm; the body is robust; head short (HL/SVL 0.38, HW/ SVL 0.42), not wider than trunk, not longer than wide (HL/HW 0.92); snout short (SL/HL 0.34), rounded in dorsal view, truncated in profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, narrow (SL/IND 1.4); canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region slightly concave; nostrils situated on slight projections, about in the middle of the snout (END/SL 0.46); eyes directed anterolaterally, slightly protruding, relatively small (ED/HL 0.34); eye diameter subequal to snout length (ED/SL 1.02); interorbital distance is less than upper eyelid length (IOS/EL 0.57), and nearly equal to internarial distance (IOS/IND 0.98); internarial distance greater than half eye diameter (IOS/ED 0.68); vomerine teeth inconspicuous; tympanum visible, smaller than eye diameter (TYM/ED 0.39); a continuous row of glands below tympanum; upper jaw without dentition; choanae small, round, vomerine teeth represented by a roughened protrusion; tongue notched posteriorly, 6.3 mm at widest part; median lingual processes present; vocal sac single, darkly pigmented anteriorly; dorsal surfaces of head, trunk and limbs smooth with rounded or elongated warts; ventral surface of limbs, gular and abdomen smooth. Arms slender; hand moderately large (HND/SVL 0.22); tips of fingers not enlarged into discs; relative length of fingers: IV <II <I <III; subarticular tubercles single and distinct, basal tubercles double with one on fingers I, II and IV, and two on finger III; fingers without webbing; thenar tubercle distinct; metacarpals with supernumerary tubercles; pale nuptial pads present on upper surface of fingers I and II. Hind limbs stout, tarsal tubercle present as a small raised area; crus short (CRU/SVL 0.38); heels not reaching each other when knees are flexed and thighs are held at right angle to body; foot longer than crus (CRU/FOT 0.89); relative length of toes: I<II<V<III
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6949467248
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