''Aphantophryne nana'' is a species of
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...
in the family
Microhylidae
The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.
Evolution
A molecular phylo ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and is known with certainty only from the island of
Camiguin
Camiguin, officially the Province of Camiguin ( ceb, Probinsya sa Camiguin; tl, Lalawigan ng Camiguin; Kamigin: ''Probinsya ta Kamigin''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of Min ...
.
[ It is unclear whether similar frogs from northeast ]Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
are referable to this species. It was
described as ''Oreophryne nana'', but based on molecular data it was moved to ''Aphantophryne'' in 2017. Common names Camiguin cross frog, Camiguin narrow-mouthed frog,[ and volcano cross frog have been coined for the species.][
]
Description
''Aphantophryne nana'' are small, moderately slender-bodied frogs. Adult females in the type series
In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...
measure in snout–vent length; no males were collected. The head is broader than it is long. The snout is short and bluntly round–pointed. The canthus rostralis In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or ''canthus rostralis'',Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the ...
is rounded. The tympanum is distinct. The fingers and the toes are dilated into moderately large disks (with the exception of the first finger). Skin is smooth. Preserved specimens are dusky brown, apart from the blackish snout, upper eyelids, and axillary and loreal regions.
''Aphantophryne nana'' differs from '' Aphantophryne anulata'' by the absence of subarticular tubercles on the hand, but the diagnostic value of this character has been questioned because specimens from Mindanao show a variable degree of distinctiveness for this trait.
Habitat and conservation
''Aphantophryne nana'' occurs in mossy and montane rainforests. The types were collected in dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = fru ...
forest at elevations between above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''.
The ...
. Eggs presumably belonging to this species have been found under mosses. Development is direct, without a free-living tadpole
A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...
stage.
''Aphantophryne nana'' is rare on Camiguin. Shifting agriculture and illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...
threaten its habitat at lower altitudes.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2276635
nana
Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name
* Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname
* Nana ( ...
Endemic fauna of the Philippines
Amphibians of the Philippines
Fauna of Camiguin
Amphibians described in 1967
Taxa named by Walter Creighton Brown
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot