Liuixalus

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Liuixalus
Liuixalus romeri is the type species of the genus

Liuixalus romeri is the type species of the genus

Systematics
without rank: Amphibians (Lissamphibia)
Order : Frog (anura)
Subordination : Neobatrachia
Family : Rowing frogs (Rhacophoridae)
Subfamily : Rhacophorinae
Genre : Liuixalus
Scientific name
Liuixalus
Li , Che , Bain , Zhao & Zhang , 2008

Liuixalus is a genus of frogs from the family of the rowing frogs (Rhacophoridae). The frogs are common in southern China and northern Vietnam .

features

The genus Liuixalus was originally not distinguished from other species of the rowing frog family by special morphological distinguishing features, but rather based on molecular genetic findings. Li et al. found in their study from 2008 that the species Chiromantis romeri phylogenetically did not fit into the genus Chiromantis , but as a sister taxon faced all other rowing frogs (with the exception of the genus Buergeria ). Therefore a new genus was defined under the name Liuixalus with Liuixalus romeri as type species . After further work in 2009, two species of the genus Philautus were also transferred to the genus Liuixalus .

The re-description of a species in 2013 made it possible to define common characteristics of the group. The species are very small and barely reach 2 centimeters head-trunk length . Their development takes place in larval stages that swim freely in small bodies of water. The adult animals have only the hind limbs webbed ranging approximately one third of the toe length. The adhesive discs on the toes are smaller than those on the fingers. These adjustments allow the frogs to both swim and climb trees. The tympanum is clearly visible, its diameter is slightly smaller than that of the eye. The skin on the back is warty and has a more conspicuously colored mark between the shoulders that is reminiscent of an X in shape. There are no teeth on the palate.

distribution

In southern China there are isolated distribution areas in Hong Kong ( Liuixalus romeri ), in the border area of ​​the autonomous region of Guangxi and the province of Guangdong ( Liuixalus feii ), in the south of the province of Hainan ( Liuixalus ocellatus ) and on the mountain Diaoluo on the island of Hainan ( Liuixalus hainanus ) . Liuixalus calcarius occurs on the island of Cát Bà in northern Vietnam .

Way of life

The species live in rain and bamboo forests . The tadpoles develop mainly in temporary bodies of water, for example in the phytotelms of the bamboo stumps or in ponds. The frogs do not appear in the open.

Danger

The IUCN has both the type species liuixalus Romeri and liuixalus ocellatus as ( "high risk" endangered ) classified. The reason for this is the dwindling habitat of the species that occur in small areas of distribution due to deforestation, the establishment of industry and increasing tourism in Hong Kong and Hainan. For Liuixalus hainanus there is still a lack of data ( data deficient ), also for the species newly described in 2013 and 2015.

Systematics and taxonomy

After Li and others carried out molecular genetic investigations into the rearrangement of the rowing frogs in 2008, it turned out that Chiromantis romeri belonged neither to the genus Chiromantis nor to Philautus , but represented the type of its own genus at the base of the rowing frogs, the genus Liuixalus was established. The genus name Liuixalus is reminiscent of the Chinese herpetologist Cheng-Chao Liu .

Two other species of the genus Philautus were transferred to the genus Liuixalus in 2009 . In 2013 and 2015, two new species were described that genetically also belong to this genus.

species

The genus Liuixalus includes five described species:

As of July 30, 2015

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jia-Tang Li, J. Che, RH Bain, EM Zhao & Ya-Ping Zhang: Molecular phylogeny of Rhacophoridae (Anura): A framework of taxonomic reassignment of species within the genera Aquixalus, Chiromantis, Rhacophorus, and Philautus . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 48, 1, pp. 302-312, 2008 doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2008.03.023
  2. ↑ a b Jia-Tang Li, J. Che, Robert W. Murphy, H. Zhao, EM Zhao, Ding-Qi Rao & Ya-Ping Zhang: Evolution of reproduction in the Rhacophoridae (Amphibia: Anura) inferred from a phylogenetic analysis of five nuclear and three mitochondrial genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 53, pp. 509-522, 2009
  3. ↑ KD Milto, NA Poyarkov, NL Orlov & Tao Thien Nguyen: Two New Rhacophorid Frogs from Cat Ba Island, Gulf of Tonkin (Hai Phong Province, Vietnam). Russian Journal of Herpetology, 20, 4, pp. 287-300, 2013
  4. ↑ Liuixalus romeri in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Michael Wai Neng Lau, Shi Haitao, 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  5. ↑ Liuixalus ocellatus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Michael Wai Neng Lau, Shi Haitao, 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  6. ↑ Liuixalus hainanus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Listed by: Xie Feng, Jiang Jianping, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  7. ↑ Jia-Tang Li, Ding-Qi Rao, Robert W. Murphy & Ya-Ping Zhang: The systematic status of rhacophorid frogs . Asian Herpetological Research, 2, pp. 1–11, 2011 doi : 10.3724 / SP.J.1245.2011.00001 PDF ( Memento of the original dated December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 210.75.237.14
  8. ↑ a b Jian-Huan Yang, Ding-Qi RAO & Ying-Yong Wang: A new species of the genus Liuixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern China . Zootaxa, 3990, 2, pp. 247-258, July 2015
  9. ^ Darrel R. Frost: Liuixalus . In: Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, 1998-2015, accessed July 29, 2015

literature

  • Jia-Tang Li, J. Che, RH Bain, EM Zhao & Ya-Ping Zhang: Molecular phylogeny of Rhacophoridae (Anura): A framework of taxonomic reassignment of species within the genera Aquixalus, Chiromantis, Rhacophorus, and Philautus . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 48, 1, pp. 302-312, 2008 doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2008.03.023 (first description)

Web links

Commons : Liuixalus  - collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Darrel R. Frost: Liuixalus . In: Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, 1998-2015, accessed July 30, 2015
  • Rowing frogs at Amphibiaweb, with species list of the genus Liuixalus , accessed on July 30, 2015