A New Species of the Asian Leaf Litter Toad Genus Leptobrachella (Amphibia, Anura, Megophryidae) from Chongqing City, Southwest China

Herein we describe a new species. Leptobrachella yunyangensis sp. nov., from Yunyang County, Chongqing City, China, based on a combination of molecular and morphological data. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene and six nuclear genes indicated that this new species represented an independent evolutionary lineage. The uncorrected genetic distance between the new species and its closest congener species, L oshanensis, was 5.4 % for 16S rRNA. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters (1) moderate body size (SVL 283-30.6 mm in males); (2) rough dorsal skin, with sparse large granules and tubercles and short longitudinal ridges on the shoulder; (3) distinctly discernible tympanum with a diameter smaller than that of the eye (TMP/EYE ratio: 0.51) and a distinct black supratympanic line present; (4) an internasal distance almost equal to interorbital distance (IND/IOD ratio: 1.05); (5) flanks with several dark spots arranged longitudinally in two rows, (6) distinctly visible supra-axillary, femoral, pectoral, and ventrolateral glands; (7) bicolored iris, with the upper 1/3 of the iris being copper orange and the lower 2/3 a light silvery grey; (8) relative finger lengths of I < II = IV < III and relative toe lengths of I < II < V < III < IV; (9) absence of webbing and lateral fringes on fingers, and toes with rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral fringes (10) heels overlapping when the thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; (11) tibiotarsal articulation reaching to the anterior corner of the eye when the leg is stretched forward; (12) ventral surfaces of the throat, chest, and belly greyish white with purple-brown speckling; (13) lacking distinct blackish dorsolateral markings; and (14) transverse dark brown bars on the surfaces of limbs and digits.