''Meristogenys maryatiae'', also known as Maryati's torrent frog, 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 Ranidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the state of

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...

, in the

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n part of

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

honours Prof. Datin Mohamed Maryati, entomologist from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, who helped the describers of this species during their herpetological surveys in Sabah.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females, based on just two specimens, in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The body is moderately slender. The head is triangular and wider than it is long. The tympanum is distinct, but the supratympanic fold is weak. The fingers are slender and have tips of expanded into discs; no webbing is present. The hindlimbs are slender. The toe tips bear discs similar to the finger ones. The toes are fully webbed. The dorsum is shagreened. The dorsolateral folds are low and indistinct. Dorsal colouration is olive brown with dark spots. The iris is golden. The limbs have alternating light and dark brown cross bars. The lower surfaces are whitish, except for the paired subgular

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...

in males, which is light brown.

Tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s of

Gosner stage Gosner stage is a generalized system of describing stages of embryonal and larval development in anurans (frogs and toads). The Gosner system includes 46 numbered stages, from fertilized embryo (stage 1) to the completion of metamorphosis (stage ...

40 measure about in total length, of which the tail makes little more than one half. They are greenish yellow on head-body and tail, with black spots on body and caudal muscle.

Dsitribution

This species is known from the western slopes of the

Crocker Range Crocker Range ( ms, Banjaran Crocker) is a mountain range in West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia that separates the west and east coast of Sabah. At an average height of , it is the highest mountain range in the state with the range is named ...

in Sabah.

Habitat and conservation

''Meristogenys maryatiae'' occurs in lowland to lower montane tropical primary and secondary rainforests at elevations of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

; it has also been recorded in a stream running through a rubber plantation. Adults have been seen among stones and grass on riverbeds and on rocks in streams; calling males were observed by a wide stream at night. Tadpoles have been seen clinging to bare rock in a shallow portion of a swift stream. ''Meristogenys maryatiae'' is common throughout its known range. Although it is probably locally affected by habitat loss, much of the known range is within a well-protcted national park, the

Crocker Range National Park Crocker Range National Park ( ms, Taman Negara Banjaran Crocker) was established in 1984, although the area had previously been under protection as a forest reserve. It covers the north-south Crocker Range, of 1200-1800 metre mountains in Sabah, ...

; it probably also occurs in the

Kinabalu National Park Kinabalu Park ( ms, Taman Kinabalu), established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of ...

. It is locally collected for food, but this is not considered a threat.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3306505 maryatiae Endemic fauna of Borneo Endemic fauna of Malaysia Amphibians of Malaysia Amphibians described in 2010 Amphibians of Borneo