Deception Peak Mountain Toadlet

description

Description of holotype. A male, 36.3 mm SUL, in breeding condition, robust, widest at mid-body; head wide (SUL / HW 2.5), not wider than trunk, wider than long (HW / HL 1.2); snout long (SL / HL 0.39), nearly square in dorsal view, angular in profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, shorter than wide (SL / IO 0.85); canthus rostralis gently rounded; loreal region almost vertical, slightly concave; nostril raised, rimmed, with a small outer flap, directed dorsolaterally; situated closer to eye than to tip of snout, separated from each other by distance less than distance between eye and nostril (IN / EN 0.89); eyes directed anterolaterally, relatively small (EYE / HL 0.3); umbraculum present; eye diameter shorter than snout (EYE / SNT 0.81); interorbital distance less than eye diameter (IO / EYE 0.84), and greater than internarial distance (IO / IN 1.33); tympanum distinct, round, less than eye diameter (TYM / EYE 0.58), situated close to eye (ET / EYE 0.21); choanae small, round, located far anterolaterally at margins of roof of the mouth; no vomer processes; median lingual process of tongue absent. Viewed from below the snout does not protrude beyond the lower jaw. Lateral

Taxonomy of the Capensibufo rosei group (Anura: Bufonidae) from South Africa

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Capensibufo deceptus is larger than the other species in the group. The female holotype SUL 36.3 mm, and a female PEM A 10159, 38 mm. The largest specimens of the other species include C. rosei 28.3 mm (SAM 43270, Table Mountain), C. magistratus 26 mm (Jonaskop), and C. selenophos 23.5 mm (holotype, Maanskynkop). It possesses a visible tympanum, which distinguishes it from C. magistratus, C. rosei, and C. selenophos. In preservative, the dorsal spots have no thin white outer margin, which is usually present in C. magistratus and C. selenophos. The umbraculum is angular, but rounded in C. rosei, C. selenophos and C. tradouwi. Parotids are usually not expanded, in contrast to the wide parotid middle of C. magistratus, C. selenophos, and C. tradouwi. The vertebral stripe consists of a thin white line inside a broad pale band, while a vertebral stripe is usually absent in C. rosei, and it consists of a diffuse band in C. magistratus. The belly is immaculate to lightly speckled, while there are white spots on a darker background in C. magistratus and C. selenophos. Capensibufo tradouwi has a belly that is flecked, the marks running together into thin interrupted lines. The in

Taxonomy of the Capensibufo rosei group (Anura: Bufonidae) from South Africa

distribution

Distribution. The species is so far only known from the DuToits Mountains in South Africa (Fig. 1), from below Deception Peak. Two specimens from Koeël Mountain (Kogelberg) ± 980 m (CNCH 6847 – 48) have been provisionally assigned to this species. They have snout-urostyle lengths of 31 and 35 mm, much larger than any other species, and both possess a visible tympanum. They were previously called Capensibufo rosei, but the latter does not have a tympanum, nor any hearing organs. This assignment will require fresh material for molecular confirmation.

Taxonomy of the Capensibufo rosei group (Anura: Bufonidae) from South Africa

etymology

Etymology. This species is named for the type locality, below Deception Peak, DuToits Mountains, South Africa. The specific epithet is Latin for ' deceive'.

Taxonomy of the Capensibufo rosei group (Anura: Bufonidae) from South Africa