''Callulops mediodiscus'' is a species of
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
in the family
Microhylidae
The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.
Evolution
A molecular phylo ...
. It is only known from the
type locality in the upper
Kikori Basin in the
Southern Highlands Province
Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2011 census, the total population of Southern Highlands (after the separation of Hela Province) is 515,511 ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
.
The
specific name refers to its most distinctive feature, the moderately enlarged discs on fingers and toes, although their function remains unknown as the specimens were collected on or near the ground.
[
]
Description
''Callulops mediodiscus'' is only known from the all-male type series
In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...
. Specimens measure in snout–vent length. Body is moderately slender and somewhat pear-shaped, with wide head that is not distinct from the body. Limbs are long and moderately robust, and fingers and toes bear moderately enlarged discs. Overall colouration is light yellowish-brown, with noticeably darker head. Lateral surfaces are more strongly yellow-tinged than dorsum. Exposed surfaces of forelimbs are yellowish-brown proximally and becoming medium brown distally. Exposed surfaces of hindlimbs are relatively uniform yellowish brown, but digits are lighter, tending towards off-white. Iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
is silvery-grey.[
The advertisement call of male ''Callulops mediodiscus'' is a series of four loud, barking notes, with a dominant frequency of 1529–1661 Hz.][
]
Habitat
The type locality is extremely wet, mossy lower-montane rainforest at about asl
American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...
on karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
limestone. Individuals were found on the ground on leaf litter, or calling on mossy rocks and logs after rain at night. No other ''Callulops'' species were found at the locality.[
]
References
External links
AmphibiaWeb
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2934316
mediodiscus
Amphibians of Papua New Guinea
Endemic fauna of Papua New Guinea
Amphibians described in 2012