submitted for publication 30.03.96
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 29(1):43-48, 1997.
A NEW TOAD OF GENUS BUFO FROM THE FOOT OF SIACHIN GLACIER, BALTISTAN, NORTHEASTERN PAKISTAN
M. S. KHAN
HERP LABORATORY, 15/6 DARUL SADAR NORTH, RABWAH 35460, PAKISTAN
Pages 18; Figs. 2; Tables 3.
Abstract: A Bufo with striped green dorsal pattern is described from Baltistan and compared with its Pakistani congeners. Ecology of the new species is recorded. A key for identification of Pakistani toads is devised.
key words: New toad, Baltistan, ecology, key for Pakistani toads.
Running title: New toad from Baltistan.
INTRODUCTION
A small collection of herps from Baltistan, northeastern Gilgit Agency, Pakistan, which I received through courtesy of my friend Sana Ullah Baltistani, includes a pair of brown toads, which on laboratory examination are identified as a new species, belonging to Viridis species group of Inger (1972).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The toads are fixed and preserved in 50% formalin solution.
Morphological measurements were taken according to Eiselt and Schmidtler (1973): Snout-vent length=from tip of snout to anal aperture; head length=tip of snout to jaw angle; head breadth=at the level of tympanum; interorbital space and width of upper eye lid=at mid-upper eyelid; horizontal eye diameter= from anterior corner of eye to posterior; tympanic diameter=vertical midtympanum, not including the bony ring; parotoid length= from anterior border of gland to posterior; distance between mouth commissure and lower edge of parotoid; distance between mouth commissure and the lower edge of tympanum; thigh length =anal lip to knee bent; tibial length=knee bend to tarsal bend; length of first toe=base of inner metatarsal tubercle to toe tip; length of fourth toe=base of outer metatarsal tubercle to toe tip. Sex was determined by surgery.
BMNH=British Museum (Natural History), London; MSK=Personnel collection of author, Herp Laboratory, 15/6 Darul Sadar North, Rabwah 35460, Pakistan.
Bufo siacheninsis new species
(Fig.1)
Holotype: BMNH 1990.94 (MSK 026.94), gravid female, from seepage pools close to Shinu village, on the left bank of River Shyok, 140 km east of Skardu, at the foot of Siachen Glacier, Baltistan, northeastern Pakistan, 76.650 E, 35.250 N, elevation 5238 m from sea level, collector Sana Ullah Baltistani, 10th August, 1994.
Paratype (1): MSK 027.94, data as for holotype.
Diagnosis: Medium size Bufo with six dark-green stripes on light dorsum; first two fingers subequal; single subarticular tubercle under fingers and toes; tip of fourth finger extends beyond the base of terminal phalanx of third finger; no tarsal fold; parotoids narrow, about twice as long as broad; distinct ulnar, tibial and tarsal glands; dorsum smooth with low smooth nonspinulated tubercles; limbs blotched with green; ventrum marbled, with dark spots all over; tips of digits slightly swollen, white.
Description of holotype (all measurements in mm): BMNH 1990.94, a gravid female, snout-vent length 61.15; head almost as long (22) as broad (21.7), upper jaw protruded over lower jaw. Canthus rostralis obtuse, loreals oblique sloping outwards, slightly concave in the middle, snout rounded (in lateral profile), dorsally flat and smooth. Naris much closer to snout tip (1.8) than eye (4.0), slightly swollen, facing upwards and backwards, just below canthus. Upper eyelid longer (6.7) than broad (5.9), with smooth tubercles at its posterior half, interorbital space flat, narrower (3.9) than upper eyelid (5.9) with numerous smooth minute tubercles. Tympanum round, its vertical diameter (2.55) about half the horizontal diameter (5.75) of eye, slightly covered from behind by parotoid. Parotoids raised, smooth, pitted, elongated pear-shaped, anterior end broadest, much longer (13.4) than broad (8.5), abutting against upper eyelid, partially covering tympanum from behind, posterior pointed end extending to the level of axilla. Dorsal border of parotoids not clearly marked, a patch of sub-parotoidal tubercles. Inter-parotoid space tuberculated. A pair of tubercles at the corner of mouth.
Body dorsum slightly raised, gradually sloping on sides of bulging belly, dorsum varicose with smooth scattered heterogeneous tubercles, largest haphazardly scattered among smaller ones, a distinct row of large tubercles along lateral sides of the belly, largest tubercle as large as tympanum, smaller heterogeneous tubercles scattered unevenly on dorsum and ventrum. A crescentric row of subcloacal tubercles.
Anterior limb moderate, fore-arm distinctly thicker than upper-arm, an elongated ulnar gland along outer border of fore-arm; a groove between fore-arm and hand on upper side. Fingers flattened with distinct lateral dermal border, tips round, slightly swollen. First finger slightly smaller than second, a large subdigital tubercle between first and second phalanx. Distal two phalanges of the first finger are bent inward and have thick dermal border. Second and third fingers are narrower, with single subdigital tubercles, the fourth finger has a pair of tubercles between first-second and second-third phalanx. Tip of fourth finger extends to the level of the base of the distal phalanx of the third finger. Fingers are 3,4,2,1 when arranged in order of reduction in size. The palm is varicose with few smooth tubercles. Outer metacarple tubercle large, protuberant, triangular to round, larger than tympanum; inner tubercle oval, placed on the inner side of the basal phalanx of the first finger.
Posterior limbs strong, when limb is adpressed against body the tibiotarsal articulation reaches to the midbody, and the tip of fourth toe to a point between eye and nostril; when thighs are bent at right angle to the body the heels are kept apart by the coccyxal width, ; thigh are longer and thicker than tibia, dorsally varicose with scattered tiny tubercles; tibia as long as breadth of head, with a smooth tibial gland on its outer surface. Tarsus as broad as thigh, with tarsal gland on its inner surface, 2-3 rows of smooth sub-tarsal tubercles. A pair of metatarsal tubercles, outer slightly raised rounded area, as big as inner metacarple tubercle, while inner elongated lying under dermal border of the inner toe; toes flat lined with broad dermal border which does not include the toe tips. Fourth toe with broad dermal border, nicked at joints; web reaching to the base of second phalanx of fourth toe; subdigital toe tubercles smaller than those under fingers, sole with few smooth tubercles.
Colour: Body leathery brown (in formalin preserved material) visible in inter-stripe areas. Six dark green stripes form the dorsal pattern: an epi-parotoidal stripe, on each side, running from snout, upper eyelid, along upper border of parotoids to the coccal sides. These stripes are joined by a transverse mid-parotoid band; a sub-parotoid stripe, on each side, starting from snout running along lower border of parotoid to inguinal region. The third is a broad abdominal stripe, running from tympanum, on each side, shoulder, latero-ventrum of abdomen, where it is broken in dark specks which are more concentrated under thighs and posterior part of abdomen, continuing mesially and laterally to chest, chin and under hind limbs. Crown with few elongated green blotches on upper lip, snout upper eyelid. Dorsally limbs are with large green blotches. Finger and toe tips white.
Variations: Table 1 summarizes morphological differences between type series. Both toads are gravid females. Type specimen is larger in snout-vent length, head length, has longer and broader parotoids and lighter ground body colour. However, paratype is more darker brown, its tarsometatarsal articulation reaches to mid-parotoids, tip of fourth toe extends well beyond snout, both have similar ventral body pattern.
Ecology: The new species was collected from small seepage puddles along sides of terraced cultivated fields on the southern bank of Shyok River, near Shinu village. The puddles were surrounded by moderately thick grass, with no emergent vegetation. No other amphibian or reptile was collected from the site, however, from the nearest rocks several specimens of Agama himalayana and from houses of Shinu village Tenuidactylus baturensis Khan and Baig, 1992 were collected.
Baltistan is a high altitude (2300 m) cold desert lying in the north of State of Jammu & Kashmir. Karakoram glaciers Baltoro, Concordia, Kaberi, Kandus and Siachen lie in the East demarcating border with China. Desolate Deosai Plateau forms its western border. Several torrents drain glaciers into River Shyok which ultimately joins the River Indus (Adamson and Shaw, 1981).
High altitude snowy desertic conditions and hard stony soil, low temperature (summer 57-85oF, winter 32-500F) and low annual precipitation (Ahmad, 1989), support little natural vegetation of type of sparse grass and thorny bushes,. However, fruit orchards and other cash crops are grown wherever water is available, mostly along sides of water ways, in carefully tended terraced fields.
During short lived hot summer (May-August), several arthropods are common in the area, attracting toads (reported in this paper), gecko Tenuidactylus baturensis Khan and Baig, 1992 and an agamid Agama himalayan collected from nearby settlements and rocks respectively. The short lived summer is utilized by these animals for reproductive activity.
Comparison with congeners: Pakistani highland broad-skulled toads Bufo himalayanus (Gunther, 1864) and B. melanostictus Schneider, 1801, are well distinguished from the new species B. siacheninsis by their cranial crests, cornified asperities on fingers and toes and large coarser warts on body dorsum. While highland narrow-skulled toads B.viridis Lauranti, 1768, B. raddei Strauch, 1876, and B. latastei Boulenger, 1882, are morphologically very close to each other and are diagnosed on apparently minor but consistent characters (Inger, 1972). Though latastei has a tarsal gland, longitudinal parotoid and narrower interorbital space like siacheninsis but it differs from it due to its wortier dorsum, presence of a distinct tarsal fold, first finger longer than second and presence of double subarticular tubercles under fingers and toes and dorsal pattern of small spots.
Table 2 and 3 compare the new toads from Pakistani species of Viridis Group:apart of the compared characters dorsum of B. viridis is smooth, granulated to warty, like siacheninsis lateral abdominal tubercles are arranged in longitudinal rows, elongate parotoids, presence of tarsal gland, subarticular tubercles are rarely double, dorsal pattern is very variable from unicolour gray to beige-dark with a light vertebral stripe, while digital tips are light. Recently described B. v. pseudoraddei Mertens, 1971 differs from siacheninsis in its larger size (SVL 55-72 mm), has double subarticular tubercles under fingers which are dark or light tipped, inner metacarple tubercle is equal or smaller than 1/3rd of outer, while light dorsum is heavily reticulated with dark green with a distinct light middorsal stripe. This race has been described from northwest of North Western Frontier Province. The second race B. v. zugmayeri Eiselt and Schmidtler, 1973, is distinguished by its distinctly downward projected parotoids, wider interorbital space, longer first finger, double subarticular tubercles under 4th toe, distinct tarsal ridge, spotty dorsal pattern of green, spots are usually smaller than eye. This race has recently been described from Balochistan highland. On the other hand the extralimital Siberian toad B. raddei is distinguished from the new species by its distinct tarsal fold, double subarticular tubercles, broader web along fourth toe, dorsal pattern of green blotches or spots which are often larger than eye (Fig. C, Plate 8, Zhao and Adler, 1993) or green dorsal reticulation (Liu, 1936:Plate III, Figs.1-5), and the habitat preference, which is stated to be "driest where no other amphibian is able to exist", (Pope, 1931; Pope and Boring, 1941).
The toads of plains of Pakistani: B. stomaticus Lutken, 1863 and B. olivaceus Blanford, 1874, are distinguished from the new species B. siacheninsis by their coarser, wortier, light brown body with light dark spotty pattern, absence of dermal border along fingers and toes which are tipped black; parotoids are longer, broader and kidney-shaped, a more or less distinct tarsal fold. The Iranian B. surdus Boulenger, 1891 is distinguished by its indistinct tympanum, coarser dorsum, thinner dermal border along fingers and toes and spinulated tarsal fold.
The new species B. siacheninsis is distinguished from all its Pakistani congeners by following combination of characters: slightly protruding upper jaw over mouth, dorsal six striped green pattern, narrower pear-shaped parotoids, distinct ulnar, tibial and tarsal glands, single subarticular tubercles under fingers and toes, absence of tarsal fold, softer dorsum with fewer low smooth tubercles, dark blotched white belly with scattered small rounded granules, fingers and toes with light tips.
Discussion: The new toad Bufo siacheninsis belongs to Inger's (1972) viridis Group, which includes B. viridis, B. calamita, B. raddei, B. orientalis, B. latastii, and B. surdus. Of which three toads B. calamita, B. raddei and B. orientalis, are extralimital for Pakistan, while B. viridis is distinguished in four races: mainland European race B. v. viridis Laurenti, 1768, mid-eastern B. v. arabicus Heyden, 1827. While rest of the two races are described from Pakistan: from Swat, northwestern Pakistan B. v. pseudoraddei Mertens, 1971; from south-western Balochistan B. v. zugmayeri Eiselt and Schmidtler, 1973 (B. v. arabicus of Flint and Hemmer, 1968; Mertens, 1969).
Dubois and Martens (1977) extensively collected B. latastii Boulenger, 1882 from Nepal, Ladakh, Kashmir and northern Indian Punjab. In earlier reports this species has been identified as B. viridis (Steindachner, 1867; Stoliczka, 1872a; Anderson, 1872; Schmidt, 1926; Angel, 1946; Kauri, 1948; Mertens and Wermuth, 1960; Murthy and Sharma, 1976; Duda and Sahi, 1977). While B. viridis of western Xinjiang, China has recently been described as a new taxon B. danatensis Pisanets, 1978.
The two Pakistani races of Bufo viridis are confined along western highland border of Pakistan. Reports of this species from Salt Range, Punjab, Pakistan (Hora and Chopra, 1923) and Abbotabad, eastern North Western Frontier Province, Pakistan (Stoliczka (1872b) are not confirmed by other collectors from the areas (Rao, 1923; Mertens, 1969; Khan, 1979, 1986; Khan and Baig, 1992). From Salt Range only B. stomaticus is collected, while in Abbotabad B. stomaticus and B. melanostictus are extensively collected without trace of B. viridis.
Mertens (1969) regards B. v. pseudoraddei as an intergrade between B. v. zugmayeri (=arabicus) and B. raddei, however, B. siacheninsis is a distinct species with unique morphology. It adds eighth toad to the list of seven already known toads from Pakistan (Khan, 1994; Khan and Tasnim, 1987).
Pakistani toads are distinguished from each other by the following key:
1. Head with cranial crests...... 2
Head without cranial crests...... 3
2. Only supra orbital crest present;
tympanum indistinct...... B. himalayanus
Canthal, supraorbital, postorbital
and orbitotympanic crests present,
tympanum distinct...... .B. melanostictus
3. Tympanum distinct...... 4
Tympanum indistinct...... .B. surdus
4. Tibial gland absent...... 5
Tibial gland present...... 6
5. Dorsum with green pattern...... 7
Dorsum uniformly olive...... .B. olivaceus
6. Tarsal fold indicated by a weak
spinulated line...... .B. stomaticus
A distinct tarsal fold present...... .B. latastei
7. Dorsal pattern of scattered
green spots...... B. v. zugmayeri
Dorsal pattern of coalaced green
blotches...... 8
8. Dorsal pattern of longitudinal
stripes, three on each side...... B. siacheninsis
Dorsum heavily green with occasional light
spots of original body colour...... B. v. pseudoraddei
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Author wishes to thank Mr. Sana Ullah Baltistani for the collection of toads, which made this study possible.
Author's thanks are also due to: Dr. Dr. E.M. Pisanets, Herpetological Laboratory, Melitopol Teacher's Training College, Ukraine for gift of three specimens of Bufo raddei from his collection for comparison; Drs. W. Ronald Heyer, and George Zug, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA for providing pertinent literature from their library.
My special thanks are for Malik Zubair Ahmed for translation of Russian and German literature.
Legends to the figures
Fig. 1. Bufo siacheninsis new species, Holotype BMNH 1990.94 (MSK
026.94), dorsal view.
Fig.2. Baltistan, main glaciers and river system around type locality Shinu of new species Bufo siacheninsis (A=Hispar and Biafo Glaciers; B=Baltoro Glacier; C=Concardia and Siachen Glaciers. Inset:Northeastern Pakistan and Baltistan, shaded area enlarged.
Table 1. Morphometrics of type series of new species Bufo siacheninsis (all measurements in mm).
______
Character Holotype BMNH 1990.94 MSK 027.94
______
Sex female female
Snout-vent length 61.15 59.75
Head:
length 22 18.05
breadth 21.7 21.6
Snout length 6.9 6.1
Naris to eye 4.0 3.9
Snout tip to naris 1.8 2.2
Diameter of:
eye 5.75 5.75
ear 2.55 3.4
Parotoid gland:
length 13.4 11.75
breadth 8.5 6.6
Upper eyelid:
length 6.7 7.0
breadth 5.9 5.0
Interorbital space 4.2 4.3
Internarial space 3.9 3.7
Eye-tympanum space 1.6 1.85
Tympanum-mouth commissure space 2.6 2.15
Parotoid-mouth commissure space 5.95 5.3
Eye-mouth commissure space 4.0 4.05
Carple tubercle:
outer, horizontal length 3.6 3.4
inner, length 2.9 2.3
Length of:
thigh 23.0 22.1
Tibia 21.3 19.7
Tibial breadth 7.6 7.2
1st toe 8.9 6.3
4th toe 24.8 23.0
metatarsal tubercle
inner 3.9 3.9
outer 3.5 2.4
______
Table 2. Comparison of Bufo siacheninsis with B. raddei and B. viridis. Data, except for B. siacheninsis, from Eiselt and Schmidtler, 1973 (only animals over SVL 40 mm considered).
A= comparative size of first two fingers; B=number of subarticular tubercles under fingers (i=single, ii=paired); C= protruberance of inner/outer metatarsal tubercle; D=presence of outer metatarsal tubercle; E=colour of digital tips (-=absent; +=present).