Anodonthyla jeanbai
Encyclopedia
Anodonthyla jeanbai is an arboreal species of frog
in the family Microhylidae
. It is highly polychromatic
, and has an extremely isolated phylogenetic position, showing no clear relationships to any other members of the Anodonthyla
genus. It is found only in a small higher-elevation area in Madagascar
.
This species has a dorsum and posterior part of head that is nearly uniformly brown in colour. The anterior head is a somewhat lighter shade of brown. There is a narrow middorsal line running from the tip of the snout to the cloaca. The inguinal region contains two black spots. The tympanic region is light in colour, and has a dark supratympanic fold at the border. There are no distinct, dark crossbands on the forelimbs, however, on the hindlegs these bands are present. The cloacal region has a blackish colour, while the chest, ventral parts of the limbs, and throat are a dirty yellowish colour. The belly of this species has a similar colour, however it is more grayish.
A. jeanbai is an extremely polychromatic
species. In life, the dorsum is light brown. The dorsal surfaces of both the arms and legs are a light reddish brown colour, all having some indistinct irregular-shaped darker markings.
Many specimens have a somewhat regular dark 'hourglass' pattern located on the scapular region, and may also have small reddish brown tubercles in a scattered pattern on the dorsum.
, which is located at the southern end of Madagascar
, in the province of Toliara
.
density. They are seen at night, typically 1 to 2 metres high on bamboo trunks.
genus. It has a genetic 16S divergence of 9.4-12.1% relative to other species.
herpetologist Jean Baptiste (Jean-Ba) Ramanamanjato. He provided the logistic information that was a crucial part of the expedition to the type locality, an area of the Andohahela National Park, located at higher elevations.
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
in the family Microhylidae
Microhylidae
Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...
. It is highly polychromatic
Polychromatic
The term polychromatic means having several colours.It is used to describe light that exhibits more than one color. In a technical respect, this can also mean that it contains radiation of more than one wavelength. The study of polychromatics is particularly useful in the production of diffraction...
, and has an extremely isolated phylogenetic position, showing no clear relationships to any other members of the Anodonthyla
Anodonthyla
Anodonthyla is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. It contains eleven recognized species.-Species:-Description:One of the most obvious morphological synapomorphies of the genus is the presence, in males only, of a large prepollex that runs along the first finger and generally is...
genus. It is found only in a small higher-elevation area in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
Description
A. jeanbai can be distinguished from all other Anodonthyla species in numerous ways, including the presence of a yellowish colouration located on the ventral surfaces, which in some specimens, completely extends over the venter. Another distinction is the tympanum, which is often not as clearly visible as with other species.This species has a dorsum and posterior part of head that is nearly uniformly brown in colour. The anterior head is a somewhat lighter shade of brown. There is a narrow middorsal line running from the tip of the snout to the cloaca. The inguinal region contains two black spots. The tympanic region is light in colour, and has a dark supratympanic fold at the border. There are no distinct, dark crossbands on the forelimbs, however, on the hindlegs these bands are present. The cloacal region has a blackish colour, while the chest, ventral parts of the limbs, and throat are a dirty yellowish colour. The belly of this species has a similar colour, however it is more grayish.
A. jeanbai is an extremely polychromatic
Polychromatic
The term polychromatic means having several colours.It is used to describe light that exhibits more than one color. In a technical respect, this can also mean that it contains radiation of more than one wavelength. The study of polychromatics is particularly useful in the production of diffraction...
species. In life, the dorsum is light brown. The dorsal surfaces of both the arms and legs are a light reddish brown colour, all having some indistinct irregular-shaped darker markings.
Many specimens have a somewhat regular dark 'hourglass' pattern located on the scapular region, and may also have small reddish brown tubercles in a scattered pattern on the dorsum.
Distribution
The species has been found only at a single surveyed site at a relatively high elevation in the Andohahela National ParkAndohahela National Park
Andohahela National Park, in southeast Madagascar, is remarkable for the extremes of habitats that are representened within it. The park covers 760 square kilometers of the Anosy mountain range, the southernmost spur of the Malagasy Highlands...
, which is located at the southern end of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, in the province of Toliara
Toliara
-References:...
.
Habitat
This species can be found at higher elevations, in forests with a high bambooBamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
density. They are seen at night, typically 1 to 2 metres high on bamboo trunks.
Phylogeny
In terms of phylogeny, this species is very isolated. I has no clear relationships to any other member of the AnodonthylaAnodonthyla
Anodonthyla is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. It contains eleven recognized species.-Species:-Description:One of the most obvious morphological synapomorphies of the genus is the presence, in males only, of a large prepollex that runs along the first finger and generally is...
genus. It has a genetic 16S divergence of 9.4-12.1% relative to other species.
Etymology
This species is named for the MalagasyMalagasy
Malagasy is the name of the people who live in Madagascar. Malagasy is also the name of the national and official language spoken in Madagascar.It may refer to*anything pertaining to or characteristic of the island of Madagascar*the Malagasy Republic...
herpetologist Jean Baptiste (Jean-Ba) Ramanamanjato. He provided the logistic information that was a crucial part of the expedition to the type locality, an area of the Andohahela National Park, located at higher elevations.