Huynh’s leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella huynhi) from Lai Chau, Vietnam, sympatric with L. ventripunctata

NEWS - Researchers reported Huynh’s leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella huynhi Hoang, Luong, Nguyen, Nguyen, Ninh, Le, Ziegler & Pham, sp. nov.) from Lai Chau, Vietnam, during fieldwork in the evergreen forest of the Hoang Lien Mountains in northwestern Vietnam by collecting 4 specimens.

Geographically positioned in the transition zone between the cold climate of the Tibetan mountains in China and the subtropical mountains of Southeast Asia, northwestern Vietnam is likely to have a very high level of biodiversity and may contain previously unknown herpetofauna taxa.

L. huynhi is the 35th species of Leptobrachella known from Vietnam. The new species differs from its relatives by a combination of morphological characteristics of medium size (SVL 37.8–40.2 mm, n = 4 adult females); head longer than wide; tympanum distinct; skin over the entire back is greenish brown.

Toes without interdigital membranes and with narrow lateral margins; supratympanic protuberance slightly rough with few nodules; back grayish brown with indistinct dark brown markings; interorbital area with overlapping double Y-shaped markings.

The middle of the abdomen is creamy white, the outer edge of the abdomen is brown with small whitish spots; iris is copper-colored. Genetically distinct from other species in the genus with an uncorrected genetic distance of ≥ 3.62% (mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene).

The new species was named after Prof. Dr. Huynh Huy Dang, Chairman of the Zoological Society of Vietnam, in honor of his great contribution to the vertebrate fauna of Vietnam. The researchers recommend “Huynh’s Leaf-litter Frog” as the common name in English and “Cóc mày huỳnh” in Vietnamese.

Currently, L. huynhi is known to originate from Sin Ho District, Lai Chau Province. The specimens were found in a small stream at ~1630 m elevation in evergreen forest near Sin Ho City and the DT128 inter-urban road. They were found sympatrically with L. ventripunctata.

L. huynhi is the sister taxon to L. shiwandashanensis, L. wuhuangmontis, L. shangsiensis, L. pluvialis, L. minima, L. ventripunctata, L. aerea, L. feii, L. aspera, L. damingshanensis, L. nahangensis, L. nyx and L. phiadenensis with high support values (0.94 in BI, 85 in ML) and can be distinguished by a genetic divergence of at least 3.62%.

The new species was found in evergreen forest near Sin Ho City and the area is not located in any protected area. The habitat of L. huynhi is threatened by degradation due to the expansion of agricultural land, infrastructure development of Sin Ho City and increasing human travel on the DT128 intercity road.

Original research

Hoang C, Luong A, Nguyen T, Nguyen T, Ninh H, Le LT, Ziegler T, Pham C (2024). A new species of Leptobrachella Smith 1925 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Lai Chau Province, Vietnam. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e136491, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e136491

Dlium theDlium

Bush sorrel (Hibiscus surattensis)

Bush sorrel ( Hibiscus surattensis ) is a plant species in Malvaceae, annual shrub, crawling on the surface or climbing, up to 3 meters long, thorny stems, green leaves, yellow trumpet flowers, grows wild in forests and canal edges, widely used for vegetables and treatment. H. surattensis has stems with spines and hairs, branching and reddish green. Petiole emerges from the stem with a straight edge to the side, up to 11 cm long, sturdy, thorny, hairy and reddish green. The leaves have a length of 10 cm, width of 10 cm, 3-5 lobed, each has a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, sharp tip, sharp and jagged edges, wavy, stiff, green surface. Flowers up to 10 cm long, trumpet-shaped, yellow with a purple or brown or red center, solitary, axillary. Epicalyx has forked bracts, linear inner branches, spathulate outer branches. Stalks up to 6-7 cm. The seeds have a length of 3-3.5 mm and a width of 2.5 mm. Bush sorrels grow in pastures, marshes, abandoned fields and plantations, ...

Golden trumpet (Allamanda cathartica)

Allamanda or golden trumpet ( Allamanda cathartica ) is a species of plant in Apocynaceae, evergreen, woody shrub, upright, up to 2 meters high, old stems are brown due to wood formation and young shoots are green. The leaves have pointed tips, rough surfaces, 6-23 cm long and gathered in 3-4 strands. The flowers are yellow and shaped like trumpets, 9 cm long and 5-7.5 cm in diameter. This species grows around rivers or open areas that are exposed to lots of sunlight with sufficient rain and high humidity throughout the year. This plant is unable to grow in saline or too alkaline soil and cannot withstand low temperatures. A. cathartica grows well and produces flowers in full sun intensity without obstruction. This species grows well in sandy soil, rich in organic matter and well aerated. The right climate for growth is a tropical climate. The native habitat is at an elevation of 0-700 meters, rainfall 1000-2800 mm/year. Flowers grow year-round in many habitats, propagating by seed an...

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

NEWS - New species from the northern Espinhaço Mountains, Caetité municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. Amethyst worm lizard ( Amphisbaena amethysta ) is the 71st species of the genus with 4 precloacal pores and the 22nd species of Caatinga morphoclimatic domain. Identification of the new species shows the reptiles of the Mountains are far from complete and may contain greater diversity of endemic taxa. A. amethysta can be distinguished by its anteriorly convex snout, slightly compressed and unkeeled, pectoral scales arranged in regular annuli, four precloacal pores, distinct head shield, 185-199 dorsal and half annuli, 13-16 caudal annuli, a conspicuous autotomy spot between the 4th-6th caudal annuli, 16-21 dorsal and ventral segments in the middle of the body, 3/3 supralabials, 3/3 infralabials and a smooth and rounded tail tip. A. amethysta occurs in areas with an average elevation of 1000 meters in patches of deciduous and semi-deciduous forests associated with valleys, slopes, fore...

Dlium