A New Species of Philautus (Amphibia, Anura, Rhacophoridae) from the Lowland of Sarawak, Western Borneo

Abstract

A new species in the rhacophorid genus Philautus is described on the basis of five male specimens collected from the Matang Range, a herpetologically well-surveyed area of the lowland of Sarawak, western Borneo. The species possesses a cutaneus pectoris muscle but lacks vomerine teeth, and is assigned to the aurifasciatus group of Philautus. It is superficially similar to some other species of the same group, but can be differentiated from them by a combination of several morphological characters, including lack of a nuptial pad and lingual papilla, and more significantly, by a distinct advertisement call. This discovery underscores the immediate necessity for detailed surveys in the already well-explored lowlands of Borneo.