Hyla perrini
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| Dufresnes et al., 2018 |
Hyla perrini is a species of amphibian from the tree frog genus, which is found in northern Italy and in the Swiss canton of Ticino . The eastern border of the distribution area lies on the Soča in the far west of Slovenia. To the east of it is the range of the European tree frog ( Hyla arborea ). The populations of Hyla perrini have long been attributed to the Italian tree frog ( Hyla intermedia ), but according to genetic data they are an independent, cryptic species . The northern Apennines forms the border between the ranges of the two species. The first description of Hyla perrini was published in October 2018.
features
Hyla perrini is a medium-sized tree frog that is very similar to the European tree frog ( Hyla arborea ) and the Italian tree frog ( Hyla intermedia ). It differs from the latter in that it has a narrower head and shorter hind legs. The back is green or brownish, the belly side is light. A white stripe above and black below, which ends in the groin region with an upward curve, the so-called hip loop, separates the top and bottom of the body. Like other tree frogs has Hyla Perrini adhesive discs on fingers and toes, horizontal standing pupils and the males have a yellowish, throat constant vocal sac . The males examined so far had a head body length of 35 to 47 mm. Females grow slightly larger and reach lengths of up to 55 mm. The shouts of Hyla Perrini sound like that of the European tree frog and the Italian tree frog.
The tadpoles of Hyla perrini are similar to those of the two tree frog species mentioned above. They have a pointed tail with a dark line in the middle and a high upper fin that extends forward to between the eyes. The breathing opening of their inner gills (spiraculum) is on the left flank of the body, the cloaca on the right.
Hyla perrini and the Italian tree frog separated from each other in the Upper Pliocene 2.5 to 3.5 million years ago and differ in the investigated mitochondrial DNA by about 9% and in the investigated nuclear DNA by 0.3%. In northeastern Emilia-Romagna there is a 50 to 100 km long contact zone in which both species hybridize with each other.
Way of life and exposure
Hyla perrini is a heat-loving frog, whose lifestyle is similar to that of the European and Italian tree frogs. It reproduces from April to May and spawns in calm small bodies of water such as temporary ponds and on flooded meadows. Since the Po plain is heavily used for agriculture, the new species could be endangered. In Switzerland, the tree frog population in Ticino is considered endangered. Exact data on the degree of risk in the entire distribution area are not yet available.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Christophe Dufresnes, Glib Mazepa, Nicolas Rodrigues, Alan Brelsford, Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Roberto Sermier, Guillaume Lavanchy, Caroline Betto-Colliard, Olivier Blaser, Amaël Borzée, Elisa Cavoto, Guillaume Fabre, Karim Ghali, Christine Grossen, Agnes Horn, Julien Leuenberger, Barret C. Phillips, Paul A. Saunders, Romain Savary, Tiziano Maddalena, Matthias Stöck, Sylvain Dubey, Daniele Canestrelli and Daniel L. Jeffries: Genomic evidence for cryptic speciation in tree frogs from the Apennine Peninsula , with description of Hyla perrini sp. nov. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6: October 144, 2018, doi: 10.3389 / fevo.2018.00144