''Oreolalax longmenmontis'' is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family

Megophryidae Megophryidae, commonly known as goose frogs, is a large family of frogs native to the warm southeast of Asia, from the Himalayan foothills eastwards, south to Indonesia and the Greater Sunda Islands in Maritime Southeast Asia, and extending to th ...

. 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 else ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

, China, and is only known from its type locality in the White River National Nature Reserve, Pengzhou City. The type locality is in the central part of the

Longmen Mountains The Longmen Mountains (), also tautologically referred to in English-language publications as the Longmenshan Mountains, are a mountain range in Sichuan province in southwestern China. Geography The range runs in a roughly northeast to southwest ...

. Accordingly, common name Longmen Mountains toothed toad has been proposed for this species.

Etymology

The specific name ''longmenmontis'' refers to the type locality, Longmen Mountains.

Distribution

''Oreolalax longmenmontis'' is currently only known from its type locality in Pengzhou City. Prior to its

description Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to make vivid a place, object, character, or group. Description is one of four rhetorical modes (also known as ''modes of discourse''), along with exposition, argumentation, and narra ...

, it was confused with '' Oreolalax popei'', and it is possible that ''Oreolalax popei'' from other localities in nearby areas actually represent this species.

Description

The

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 t ...

consists of three adult males that measure between in snout–vent length; adult females are unknown. The body is relatively slender and flat. The head is wider than it is long. The snout is rounded. The eyes are relatively large. The tympanum is hidden, while the supratympanic fold is well-developed. The forelimbs are moderately long and strong. The fingers are slender and free of webbing, but fingers III and IV have distinct longitudinal ridges. The hindlimbs are flat. The toes have rudimentary webbing and narrow dermal fringes as well as distinct dermal ridges. Both finger and toe tips are rounded. Dorsal skin is rough and bears tubercles while the belly and the throat are smooth. Dorsal coloration is brown with black tubercles. The

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 bicolored: slightly beige above and silver below, and with black reticulations throughout.

Habitat and conservation

This species is currently known from its type locality where it occurs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest at elevations of above sea level. It is frequently found near ponds in montane streams. It is sympatric with three other frog species: '' Amolops chunganensis'', '' Odorrana margaretae'', and '' Quasipaa boulengeri''. Despite many surveys during different seasons, only few adults have been found, and the adult population appears to be very small. However, the tadpoles were more numerous. Threats to this species include disturbances from tourism,

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

associated with intensifying human activities, and increasingly severe weather events. As of late 2020, this species had not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q91676076 longmenmontis Frogs of China Endemic fauna of Sichuan Amphibians described in 2020