Choerophryne gunnari

Choerophryne gunnari is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae.[1][2] It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is known from the area of its type locality in the Central Province, and from the western slopes of Mount Obree, also in the Central Province.[1]

Choerophryne gunnari
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Choerophryne
Species:
C. gunnari
Binomial name
Choerophryne gunnari
(Menzies, 1999)
Synonyms[2]

Albericus gunnari Menzies, 1999[3]

Etymology

This species was originally described in the genus Albericus,[3] named for Alberich, the dwarf in Scandinavian mythology and Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.[3][4] Menzies named the species he described after Alberich's companions in the mythodology. The specific name gunnari is derived from Gunnar.[3]

Description

Ten individuals in the type series measure 14.3–20.9 mm (0.56–0.82 in) in snout–urostyle length. The largest male was 16.4 mm (0.65 in) and a female was 21.2 mm (0.83 in) (reason for the discrepancy is unexplained).[3] Six of the types were examined later and found to be males, measuring 15.4–21.7 mm (0.61–0.85 in) in snout–vent length.[5] The dorsal surface has a large, dark hour-glass mark on a greyish background. The ventral ground colour is whitish, but the throat is dark in both males and females. The belly has a large, dark, intense blue blotch, and hind limbs are marked with blue blotches alternating between lighter and darker shades. This blue pigmentation is unique among all former Albericus species known at the time.[3]

The male advertisement call is said to lack "musical quality". It is a series of "clicks" emitted at a mean rate of 240 min–1.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Choerophryne gunnari is a poorly known species. It has been found in foothill rainforest and undisturbed forest at elevations of 450–800 m (1,480–2,620 ft) above sea level. It can be quite common in undisturbed habitat but does not seem to tolerate habitat modification. Logging is a threat to its habitat, although there should still be plenty of suitable habitat available.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Choerophryne gunnari". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T57665A152548084.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Choerophryne gunnari (Menzies, 1999)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  3. Menzies, J. I. (1999). "A study of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) of New Guinea". Australian Journal of Zoology. 47 (4): 327–360. doi:10.1071/ZO99003.
  4. Burton, Thomas C.; Zweifel, Richard George (1995). "A new genus of genyophrynine microhylid frogs from New Guinea". American Museum Novitates. 3129: 1–7. hdl:2246/3574.
  5. Kraus, F.; Allison, A. (2005). "A colorful new species of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) from southeastern Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Pacific Science. 59: 43–53. doi:10.1353/psc.2005.0008. hdl:10125/24159. S2CID 58911686.
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