Proceratophrys appendiculata Gunther 1873
Creators: name: Dias, Pedro Henrique Dos Santos
name: Amaro, Renata Cecília
name: Carvalho-E-Silva, Ana Maria Paulino Telles De
name: Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Cycloramphidae
Proceratophrys
Proceratophrys appendiculata

description: Proceratophrys appendiculata (Günther, 1873)
(Fig. 10)
Holotype. BMNH 0 27, adult male, without collecting date (Fig. 10). Unfortunately the holotype could not be examined by us, because it could not be found in the collection of British Museum of Natural History (Mark Wilkinson and Barry Clarke, personal communication). Günther’s (1873) description stated that specimen was purchased and it is from Brazil, but it could not be ascertained exactly from where. Boulenger (1882) redescribed the holotype housed at the British Museum, and no additional information about the locality was quoted. Nevertheless, the osteological data provided by Boulenger (1882) and Prado and Pombal (2008) compared to those retrieved from the cleared specimens examined indicate its probable origin. In the holotype (Fig. 10), as in specimens from Serra dos Órgãos (Fig. 5 C), the outer margins of the frontoparietal bones are curved, and poorly developed, whereas in other species examined they are almost parallel and well developed, giving a characteristic shape to this bone. Thus, we propose that the type was collected somewhere at the Serra dos Órgãos.
Our finds also corroborate the taxonomic position of other taxa as junior synonym of Proceratophrys appendiculata such as P. cafferi (= Ceratophrys cafferi; Camerano, 1879) collected in Serra dos Órgãos and P. unicolor (= Stombus appendiculatus var. unicolor; Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926) collected in Japuíba, Cachoeiras de Macacu municipality, Rio de Janeiro state.
Diagnosis. The species is characterized by: 1) medium size (SVL 43.1–58.0 mm in males and 39.5–61.8 mm in females); 2) rounded head; 3) rounded snout in dorsal view; 4) frontoparietal crests slightly accentuated; 5) nasal bones do not contact each other (Fig. 4); 6) nasals do not contact the frontoparietal; 7) outer margin of frontoparietal bones curved and expanded medially (Fig. 5 C); 8) squamosal bones with tubercles and crests (Fig. 5 A); 9) maxillary pits very deep; 10) humerus very robust.
Comparisons with other species (Data for species in comparison are given in parenthesis; biometric comparisons only between males). Proceratophrys appendiculata differs from P. laticeps, P. melanopogon, P. phyllostomus and P. subgutatta for presenting a preocular cutaneous crest (preocular cutaneous absent). From P. moehringi by the presence of a well developed rostral appendage in adults (rostral appendage absent or vestigial). It differs from P. sanctaritae by the larger size (SVL 43.1–58.0 in P. appendiculata and 38.4–45.5 in P. sanctaritae), and by the longer hindlimbs (THL+TIL/SVL 89% in P. appendiculata [89–90%] and 83% in P. sanctaritae [80– 84%]). It differs from P. tupinamba by the smaller eye diameter in relation to head length (ED/HL 16% in P. appendiculata [16–18%] and 23% in P. tupinamba [24–24.6%]) and by the smaller foot length (FL/SVL 47% in P. appendiculata [46–51%] and 59% in P. tupinamba [63–67%]). It also differs from P. izecksohni and P. belzebul by its robust humerus (humerus diameter representing approximately 55% of the greatest humerus width in P. appendiculata and less than 50% in P. izecksohni and P. b e l z e b u l).
Redescription of holotype. For redescription and further data on the holotype see Prado and Pombal (2008).
Geographical distribution. The species is known from the municipalities of Duque de Caxias, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Petrópolis, and Teresópolis in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (Fig. 7).
Conservation. Recent researches conduced with Proceratophrys appendiculata in the Serra dos Órgãos demonstrate some abnormalities in the tadpole’s development (Dias & Carvalho-e-Silva 2012). These findings become more relevant now that the geographic distribution of the species is reduced. As Dias & Carvalho-e-Silva (2012) attest, more investigations on this population are needed.
description: Published as part of Dias, Pedro Henrique Dos Santos, Amaro, Renata Cecília, Carvalho-E-Silva, Ana Maria Paulino Telles De & Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut, 2013, Two new species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura; Odontophrynidae) from the Atlantic forest, with taxonomic remarks on the genus, pp. 277-304 in Zootaxa 3682 (2) on page 292, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3682.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/216413