Choerophryne valkuriarum

Choerophryne valkuriarum is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the eastern New Guinea in Papua New Guinea and is known from near Wau in the Ekuti Dividing Range south to Myola in the Owen Stanley Range.[1][2] The nominal species might consist of more than one distinct species.[1]

Choerophryne valkuriarum

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Choerophryne
Species:
C. valkuriarum
Binomial name
Choerophryne valkuriarum
(Menzies, 1999)
Synonyms[2]

Albericus valkuriarum Menzies, 1999[3]

Etymology

This species was originally described in the genus Albericus,[3] named for Alberich, the dwarf in Scandinavian mythology and Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.[3][4] Menzies named the Albericus species he described after Alberich's companions in the mythodology, in this case the valkyries.[3]

Description

Choerophryne valkuriarum is similar to other former Albericus, although it is smaller that most others: the specimens in the type series measure 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) in snout–urostyle length.[3] Their sex was originally unspecified but later examination has shown all of them to be males.[5] The limbs are relatively short. Some specimens have a mid-dorsal line or lumbar ocelli.[3]

The male advertisement call consists of single "clicks", uttered once or in irregular series with rates up to 120 notes per minute. The call has no musical quality.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Choerophryne valkuriarum occurs in mid-montane rainforest and on the forest edge at elevations of 2,000–2,930 m (6,560–9,610 ft) above sea level. It has been found in a few rural gardens but does not tolerate severe habitat degradation. Development is presumably direct;[1] i.e., there is no free-living larval stage.[6]

This species is very abundant but can be locally threatened by habitat degradation. It occurs in the Mount Kaindi Wildlife Management Area.[1]

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References
  1. Richards, S. & Allison, A. (2004). "Choerophryne valkuriarum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57671A11671517. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57671A11671517.en. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Choerophryne valkuriarum (Menzies, 1999)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. Menzies, J. I. (1999). "A study of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) of New Guinea". Australian Journal of Zoology. 47 (4): 327–360. doi:10.1071/ZO99003.
  4. Burton, Thomas C. & Zweifel, Richard G. (1995). "A new genus of genyophrynine microhylid frogs from New Guinea". American Museum Novitates. 3129: 1–7. hdl:2246/3574.
  5. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2005). "A colorful new species of Albericus (Anura: Microhylidae) from southeastern Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Pacific Science. 59: 43–53. doi:10.1353/psc.2005.0008. hdl:10125/24159.
  6. Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.
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