Rhombophryne vaventy

Rhombophryne vaventy is a large species of frogs of the Madagascar endemic microhylid subfamily Cophylinae. It is one of the largest members of its genus.[1][2][3]

Rhombophryne vaventy
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Subfamily: Cophylinae
Genus: Rhombophryne
Species:
R. vaventy
Binomial name
Rhombophryne vaventy
Scherz, Ruthensteiner, Vences & Glaw, 2014

Range and distribution

Rhombophryne vaventy is endemic to the Marojejy massif in northern Madagascar, where it was originally described from two individuals, captured at high altitude.[4]

Description

Rhombophryne vaventy measure up to 52 mm (2.0 in). In life, the dorsal skin is highly textured. It lacks webbing between the fingers and toes, and has very long legs.[4] It possesses four unequally sized spines above each eye, characteristic of its species group.[4]

Habitat and ecology

Rhombophryne vaventy is found in montane rainforest at high altitude (~1,300 m (4,300 ft) above sea level) on the Marojejy massif. Like most Rhombophryne species, R. vaventy is a terrestrial or possibly semi-fossorial frog. It is a generalist predator, and its diet is known to include relatively large arthrosphaerid pill millipedes of the genus Zoosphaerium.[4] Nothing is currently known of its breeding or calling behaviour.

A rotational gif of the skeleton of the holotype of Rhombophryne vaventy, with a Zoosphaerium sp. in its gut.

Taxonomy

Rhombophryne vaventy was confused with R. serratopalpebrosa until the taxonomy of the R. serratopalpebrosa species complex began to be resolved.[4] It differs from R. serratopalpebrosa in its size, eye spines, skin texture, and numerous other characters.[4] Ongoing resolution of this complex has yielded several new species, including R. ornata and R. tany.

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gollark: The issue is that - assuming we can't mind-control it - the grudger will remember that I was mean to it.
gollark: The time machine one does exist and might slightly mess things up.
gollark: The game lets me have persistent state (or at least doesn't strictly forbid it), so I'm sure something could be done with that.
gollark: Tit-for-tat.

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Rhombophryne vaventy". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T79130249A84185495. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T79130249A84185495.en.
  2. Glaw, Frank; Vences, Miguel (2007). A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar (3rd ed.). Köln, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlags GbR. pp. 118–119. ISBN 978-3-929449-03-7.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Rhombophryne vaventy Scherz, Ruthensteiner, Vences, and Glaw, 2014". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  4. Scherz, Mark D.; Ruthensteiner, Bernhard; Vences, Miguel; Glaw, Frank (2014). "A new microhylid frog, genus Rhombophryne, from northeastern Madagascar, and a re-description of R. serratopalpebrosa using micro-computed tomography". Zootaxa. 3860 (6): 547–560. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3860.6.3. PMID 25283290.
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