Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 2482 No. 1: 24 May. 2010
Type: Articles
Published: 2010-05-24
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2482.1.3
Page range: 49–63
Abstract views: 35
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of limestone-forest frog, genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ceratobatrachidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines

Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561, USA
National Museum of the Philippines, Rizal Park, Padre. Burgos Ave. Ermita 1000, Manila, Philippines
Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561, USA
University of Santo Tomas, Espana Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Institute, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561, USA
Amphibia Biodiversity Cryptic species Endemism Limestone frogs Platymantis guentheri Species Group SW Pacific

Abstract

We describe a new species of terrestrial limestone forest frog of the genus Platymantis from Biak Na Bato National Park in central Luzon Island, Philippines. Platymantis biak is assigned to the primarily arboreal Platymantis guentheri Species Group, and is distinguished from these and other congeners by features of its external morphology and preferred terrestrial limestone microhabitat. Several distinguishing morphological characters include a moderately large body (32.3–39.9 mm SVL for 23 males and 37.4–42.4 mm SVL for 8 females), moderately expanded finger discs and slightly expanded toe discs, smooth skin, and limb banding pattern. The new species is yet another species in a rapidly growing group of newly discovered Philippine forest frogs with preferences for forested, karst habitats.

References

  1. Alcala, A.C. & Brown, W.C. (1999) Philippine frogs of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Ranidae). Philippine Journal of Science, 128, 281–287.

    Alcala, A.C., Brown, W.C. & Diesmos, A.C. (1998) Two new species of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Ranidae) from Luzon Island, Philippines. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 50, 381–388.

    Brown, R.M. (2004) Evolution of ecomorphological variation and acoustic diversity in mate-recognition signals of southeast Asian forest frogs (subfamily Platymantinae). Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin.

    Brown, R.M. (2009) Frogs in Island Archipelagos. Pp. 347–351 In: Gillespie, R., and D. Clague (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Islands. University of California Press, Berkeley.

    Brown, R.M & Alcala, A.C. (2000) Geckos, cave frogs, and small land-bridge islands in the Visayan sea. Haring Ibon, 2, 19–22.

    Brown, R.M., Diesmos, A.C. & Alcala, A.C. (2002) The state of Philippine herpetology and the challenges for the next decade. Haring Ibon, 42, 18–87.

    Brown, R.M., Diesmos, A.C. & Alcala, A.C. (2008) Philippine amphibian biodiversity is increasing in leaps and bounds. In: Stuart, S.N., Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J.S., Cox, N.A., Berridge, R, Ramani, P. and Young B.E. eds. Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Ediciones, with IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Conservation International, and NatureServe, Barcelona.

    Brown, R.M., Dolino, C.N., Alcala, E., Diesmos, A.C. & Alcala, A.C. (2003) The advertisement calls of two endangered species of endemic Philippine frogs: Platymantis spelaeus and P. insulatus (Anura; Ranidae). Haring Ibon, 43, 91–109.

    Brown, R.M., Foufopoulos, J. & Richards, S.J. (2006a) New species of Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura: Ranidae) from New Britain and redescription of the poorly known Platymantis nexipus. Copeia, 2006, 674–695.

    Brown, R.M., Richards, S.J., Sukumaran, J. & Foufopoulos, J. (2006b) A new morphologically cryptic species of forest frog (genus Platymantis) from New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago. Zootaxa, 1334, 45–68.

    Brown, R.M & Gonzales, J.C. (2007) A new forest frog of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura; Ranidae) from the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island, Philippines. Copeia, 2007(2), 251–266.

    Brown, W.C. & Alcala, A.C. (1970) A new species of the genus Platymantis (Ranidae) with a list of the amphibians known from South Gigante Island, Philippines. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, 84, 1–7.

    Brown, W.C. & Alcala, A.C. (1982a) A new cave Platymantis (Amphibia: Ranidae) from the Philippine Islands. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 95, 386–391.

    Brown, W.C. & Alcala, A.C. (1982b) Modes of reproduction of Philippine anurans. Pp. 416–428. In A. G. J. Rodin and K. Miyata (Eds.), Advances in Herpetology and Evolutionary Biology. Museum of Comparative Biology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

    Brown, W.C., Brown, R.M. & Alcala, A.C. (1997a) Species of the hazelae group of Platymantis from the Philippines, with descriptions of two new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 49, 405–421.

    Brown, W.C., Alcala, A.C. & Diesmos, A.C. (1997b) A new species of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Ranidae) from Luzon Island, Philippines. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 110, 18–23.

    Brown, W.C., Alcala, A.C., Diesmos, A.C & Alcala, E. (1997c) Species of the guentheri group of Platymantis from the Philippines with descriptions of four new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 50, 1–20.

    Clements, R., Sodhi, N., Schilthuizen, M. & Ng, P.K.L. (2006) Limestone karsts of Southeast Asia: Imperiled arks of biodiversity. Bioscience, 56, 733–742.

    Diesmos, A.C., Brown, R.M., Alcala, A.C., Sison, R.V., Afuang, L.E. & Gee, G.V.A. (2002). Philippine amphibians and reptiles. Pp. 26–44 In: Ong, P. S., L. E. Afuang, and R. G. Rosell-Ambal (Eds.) Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities: a Second Iteration of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Department of the Environment and Natural Resources–Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Conservation International Philippines, Biodiversity Conservation Program–University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Developmental Studies, and Foundation for the Philippine Environment. Quezon City, Philippines.

    Foufopoulos, J. & Brown, R.M. (2004). A new frog of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura; Ranidae) from New Britain, with a redescription of the poorly known Platymantis macrosceles. Copeia, 2004, 825–841.

    Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2007) Two new species of Platymantis (Anura: Ranidae) from New Britain. Zootaxa, 1485, 13–32.

    Leviton, A.E., Gibbs, Jr., R.H., Heal, E. & Dawson, C.E. (1985) Standards in herpetology and ichthyology: Part I. Standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology. Copeia, 1985, 802–821.

    Linkem, C.W., C.D. Siler, A.C. Diesmos, and R.M. Brown. 2010. A new species of Gekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines. Zootaxa 2396, 37–94.

    Rosler, H., Siler, C.D., Brown, R.M., Demegillo, A.D. & Gaulke, M. (2006) Gekko ernstkelleri sp. N.—a new gekkonid lizard from Panay Island, Philippines. Salamandra, 42(4), 193–206.

    Siler, C.D., A.C. Alcala, A.C. Diesmos & R.M. Brown. (2009) A new species of limestone-forest frog, genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ceratobatrachidae) from eastern Samar Island, Philippines. Herpetologica, 65(1), 92–104.

    Siler, C.D., Linkem, C.W., Diesmos, A.C. & Alcala, A.C. (2007) A new species of Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae) from Panay Island, Philippines. Herpetologica, 63(3), 351–364.