''Quasipaa acanthophora'' is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Dicroglossidae The frog family Dicroglossidae occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa, with most genera and species being found in Asia. The common name of the family is fork-tongued frogs. The Dicroglossidae were previously considered to ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to northern

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

and know from two locations, its type locality Mau Son in the

Lang Son Province Lang may refer to: *Lang (surname), a surname of independent Germanic or Chinese origin Places * Lang Island (Antarctica), East Antarctica * Lang Nunatak, Antarctica * Lang Sound, Antarctica * Lang Park, a stadium in Brisbane, Australia * L ...

, and the Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve in the Bac Giang Province. It is a

sibling species In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

of ''

Quasipaa spinosa ''Quasipaa spinosa'' is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Chinese spiny frog, giant spiny frog, Chinese edible frog, and spiny paa frog. Its names refer to the distinctive characteris ...

''.

Description

Adult males 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 associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...

measured and the sole adult female in snout–vent length (SVL); two females from the Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve measured SVL. The head is rather large and wider than it is long. The snout is rounded and slightly protruding. 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 indistinct, as is the tympanum, but the supratympanic fold is prominent. The fingers and toes have no discs, but the toes are fully webbed. Skin on the dorsum is shagreened and has regularly disposed glandular warts. In living specimens, the dorsum is light brown and has grey spots. The supratympanic fold is darker, and the lips bear vertical bars. The limbs have transverse bars on the dorsal surface. The ventrum is yellowish white, and the gular region has black marbling. Males have enlarged forearms and black nuptial spines on prepollex, fingers I–III, and chest.

Habitat and conservation

The ecology of this species is poorly known. The

species description A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it diff ...

was primarily based on specimens collected by

René Léon Bourret René Léon Bourret (28 January 1884, Nérac, (Lot-et-Garonne) – 28 July 1957) was a French herpetologist and geologist. In 1900, he arrived in French Indochina as a member of the military. Beginning in 1907, he worked as a surveyor for the "cad ...

in 1930s and two additional, older specimens, and no ecological information accompany it. In Tay Yen Tu the species was associated with streams at elevations of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

; the specimens were found sitting on stones. Both known populations occur in mountainous and relatively forested areas, and the upper elevational limit is estimated at . However, expanding human settlements, agriculture, and harvesting (though this species in particular has not been reported as being targeted) are likely threats. One of the populations occurs in a protected area.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q48998843 acanthophora Endemic fauna of Vietnam Amphibians of Vietnam Amphibians described in 2009