Ansonia spinulifer explained

Ansonia spinulifer, also known as spiny slender toad or Kina Balu stream toad, is a species of true toad in the family Bufonidae.It is found in Sarawak and Sabah, northern Borneo (Malaysia), and presumably also in Kalimantan on the Indonesian part of the island.[1]

Description

Ansonia spinulifer males measure 30mm40mm and females up to 45mm in snout–vent length. Tympanum is visible.[2] Dorsum has big spinose warts and usually a light spot between the shoulders. The warts are large and have keratinized projections, hence the species name. Tadpoles have the typical sucker mouth of rheophilous Ansonia tadpoles.[3]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are lowland rainforests at elevations of 150m-750mm (490feet-2,460feetm) asl. Adults range widely over the floor and herb stratum in areas of steep terrain, but breeding requires small, clear, rocky-bottomed streams. Males call at night, sitting in low vegetation close to streams.[3] The tadpoles live in torrents; they cling to rocks and feed on lithophytes.

Ansonia spinulifer is common in Sarawak,[3] but it seems not to adapt to habitat modification. It is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation and the associated siltation of streams; plantations).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ansonia spinulifer (Mocquard, 1890) . Frost, Darrel R. . 2014 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 2 March 2015.
  2. Matsui, Masafumi . Wichase Khonsue . Jarujin Nabhitabhata . 2005 . A new Ansonia from the Isthmus of Kra, Thailand (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae) . Zoological Science . 22 . 7 . 809–814 . 10.2108/zsj.22.809. 16082171 . 2433/65038 . 37362242 . free .
  3. Web site: Ansonia spinulifer. Spiny Slender Toad . Haas, A. . Hertwig, S.T. . Das, I. . 2014 . Frogs of Borneo . 2 March 2015.