A New Hylid Frog from Eastern Mexico. University of Kansas Publication, Vol 1, No 15

Excerpt

A small collection of Mexican reptiles and amphibians recently acquired by the University of Kansas Natural History Museum contains five specimens of a species of the genus Hyla (sensu lato) which is here described as new.

Hyla proboscidea sp. nov.

Type.—University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, No. 23626, collected 2 km. west of Jico, Veracruz, Mexico, at an elevation of 4,200 ft., Oct. 28, 1946, by Walter W. Dalquest.

Paratypes.—Nos. 23624, 23625, 23627, 23628, collected with the type.

Diagnosis.—A medium sized member of the genus with known maximum length of male, 57 mm. Canthus rostralis well defined; tip of snout with a bulbous projection; fingers more than one-third webbed, foot nearly completely webbed; tympanum distinct; skin smooth above, granular below; very prominent inner metatarsal tubercle, small outer tubercle; tibiotarsal articulation reaches to nostril; a well-defined outer tarsal fold; anal opening ventral, covered by a free triangular flap; pupil of eye horizontal.

Description of the type.—Head longer than broad, the distance between the eye and nostril slightly greater than distance between nostril and tip of snout; canthus rostralis sharply defined, continued to above nostril; upper part of loreal region sloping abruptly, lower part sloping more gently to edge of lip; area in front of nostril somewhat swollen, the nostril large, directed strongly backward; tip of snout forming a short rounded proboscis; upper jaw rather strongly overhanging lower jaw.

Width of an upper eyelid contained in interorbital distance about 1-1/3 times; horizontal diameter of eye about equal to distance between eye and nostril, about 1-1/3 times diameter of tympanum; tympanum distinct, its distance from orbit equal to its diameter, overhung by a glandular fold running back from eye.

Choanae large; vomerine teeth in two elevated patches which lie between, and reach the posterior level, of choanae, the patches closer to each other than to choanae; tongue rather small, subcircular, not or but very indistinctly notched behind, not at all free behind; opening to vocal sacs behind level of tongue, the openings a short slit directed backwards. (Vocal sacs not evident externally in type or paratypes.)

Skin of dorsal surfaces generally smooth (under magnification surface minutely corrugated and wrinkled); ventral surface of abdomen, the thighs, and lower part of lateral surface of body strongly granulate, the granules unequal in size and elevation; breast, chin, and under side of arm with sparse granules or tubercles.

Anal opening ventral, covered by a small, free, triangular flap; a small thickened fold, slightly free, on each side of anus partly covered by triangular flap.

Measurements (in mm.).—Snout to vent, 58; leg, 86; head length, 20; head width, 18.6.

Arms rather short, upper arm slender, forearm much thickened; a small axillary web present; disks on three outer fingers distinctly larger than tympanum, of first finger equal to or somewhat smaller than tympanum; outer fingers, between one-third and one-half webbed; on inner fingers webbing less than one-third; first finger more or less opposed to other three, its base widened, and the upper surface covered by a large patch of minute dark, horn-colored nuptial asperities, that extend to near the terminal disk; subarticular tubercles strongly elevated with numerous supernumerary tubercles on palm; a somewhat enlarged elevated palmar tubercle; under surface of forearm with a row of distinct tubercles; other smaller scattered granules present....