Abstract
In this work, we described a new species of the Asian horned toad, Boulenophrys gaolanensis sp. nov., based on the type series collected from Gaolan Island, Jinwan District, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, China. This new species is distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of morphological characters and the notable phylogenetic divergence. This discovery of new species in the understudied southwestern Pearl River Delta brings the total number of recognized Boulenophrys species to 68, with 63 found in China, and also highlights the need for further herpetological research and conservation on the understudied and ecologically vulnerable islands.
Keywords: Asian horned toads, Boulenophrys gaolanensis sp. nov., Gaolan Island, 11 Pearl River Delta, taxonomy
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| The male holotype of Boulenophrys gaolanensis sp. nov. (SYS a009225) in life: dorsolateral view (A), ventral view (B), palmar surface of left hand (C), and plantar surface of left foot (D). Photos by Shuo QI. |
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| Figure 4. All paratypes of Boulenophrys gaolanensis sp. nov. in life. Individuals: SYS a009235 (A), adult female; SYS a009236 (B), adult female; SYS a009237 (C), adult female; and SYS a009238 (D), adult male. Facets: (1) dorsolateral view, (2) ventral view, and (3) dorsal surface of finger I, showing nuptial pads and nuptial spines invisible. Photos by Hanming SONG. |
Boulenophrys gaolanensis sp. nov.
Etymology The specific epithet gaolanensis refers to the type locality of this species, the Gaolan Island.
Suggested common name “Gaolan Island Horned Toad” in English and “高栏岛角 蟾 (gāo lán dǎo jiǎo chán)” in Chinese.
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