Journal
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
Volume 72, Issue -, Pages 1067-1076Publisher
STAATLICHES MUSEUM TIERKUNDE DRESDEN
DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e91422
Keywords
East Melanesia; forest loss; island endemism; karst endemism; overwater dispersal; Pelodryadidae; taxonomy
Categories
Funding
- Florence Paspar-ea of East New Britain's Environment and Conservation Management Committee
- Alois Magogo of Pomio Local Level Government
- Rocha International
- Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
- Re:wild
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The Islands of East Melanesia, particularly New Britain, are rich in unique and endemic frog species. A new endemic pelodryadid treefrog has been discovered in New Britain, adding to its already diverse frog fauna. This finding highlights the significance of New Britain as a hotspot for frog diversity in East Melanesia.
The Islands of East Melanesia have a unique and highly endemic frog fauna derived entirely from overseas colonisation events. Within East Melanesia New Britain is a notable centre of frog diversity and endemism, with at least 15 endemic species, mostly in the ceratobatrachid genus Cornufer. Here we describe the first endemic pelodryadid treefrog from New Britain. The new species is a member of the Litoria thesaurensis species group but can be distinguished from near relatives by aspects of body size, webbing extent, bone pigmentation and male advertisement call. The two known specimens of the new species were collected in Hill Forest on karst basement in the Nakanai Mountains in East New Britain. The new species provides new evidence of diversification of insular Pelodrydidae, and reinforces New Britain, and especially the predominantly karst Nakanai mountains, as a hotspot of frog diversity in East Melanesia. In light of high rates of forest loss and conversion New Britain is also a region of significant conservation concern.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available