''Theloderma nebulosum'', the misty moss frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to central Vietnam and currently only known from

Ngọc Linh Ngọc Linh (a Sino-Vietnamese name meaning "Jade Mountain") is a mountain of the Annamite Range in Vietnam. It straddles the two provinces of Quảng Nam and Kon Tum. It is considered "the roof of Southern Vietnam". ''Panax vietnamensis'' ( v ...

Nature Reserve in the Kon Tum Province. Only one female and a series of tadpoles collected in 2009–2010 are known. This species, together with ''

Theloderma palliatum ''Theloderma palliatum'' (common name: cloaked moss frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Vietnam and so far only known from the Bidoup Núi Bà and Chư Yang Sin National Parks. This species, together with ...

'', was described by Australian and Vietnamese scientists in 2011.

Description

The holotype, an adult female, measures in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The body is relatively robust. The head is as wide as it is long. The snout is bluntly truncate in dorsal view but rounded in profile. The tympanum is distinct. The finger and toe discs are well-developed, with the finger discs being larger than those on the toes. The fingers are unwebbed whereas the toes have basal webbing. The dorsum is brown with indistinct darker brown longitudinal markings; these were more marked upon capture at night. The dorsolateral surfaces of body are paler brown and slightly mottled. The iris is bicoloured, having pale gold in upper third and dark red further down. The series of eight tadpoles measured in body length. Tail more than doubles the length.

Habitat and conservation

''Theloderma nebulosum'' has been found in high-elevation montane evergreen and bamboo forest at elevations of about

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 comb ...

. It is arboreal. The tadpoles were found inside a small water-filled tree hollow some 1 m above the ground. This species is still known only from one female and a series of tadpoles. This probably reflects the arboreal habits, small size, and cryptic colouration of the species, as well as limited survey effort in the area. The known specimens were collected inside a nature reserve, but outside the reserve habitat loss and degradation are threats.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3011047 nebulosum Frogs of Asia Amphibians of Vietnam Endemic fauna of Vietnam Amphibians described in 2011 Taxa named by Jodi Rowley