AmphibiaWeb - Oreolalax jingdongensis
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(Translations may not be accurate.)

Oreolalax jingdongensis Ma, Yang & Li, 1983
Jingdong Toothed Toad
family: Megophryidae
subfamily: Leptobrachiinae
genus: Oreolalax

AmphibiaChina 中国两栖类.

Conservation Status (definitions)
IUCN Red List Status Account Vulnerable (VU)
CITES No CITES Listing
National Status None
Regional Status None

   

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Description

The male is 50 mm and the female is 49 mm. This species has vertical pupils. It lacks a visible tympanum. The upper maxillary teeth are relatively developed. Large and thick spiny tubercles cover the dorsum. Hind legs are relatively long, with the tibiotarsal articulation extending to the eye. Digit tips are rounded. The fourth toe is 1/4-1/3 webbed, and the sides of the toes have a narrow fringe. The dorsum is yellow brown with many black speckles, while the ventrum has gray speckles. There is a dark triangular mark on the interorbital space. The male has nuptial spines on the first and second fingers and a small pair of spiny clusters on the chest. The spines are thick and sparsely distributed.

Tadpoles are 80.3 mm long with a head length of 30 mm. The tail is palm brown. The labial tooth row formula is I: 5-5 (or 4-4)/I: 4-4 (Fei 1999).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: China

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
O. jingdongensis occurs in Jingdong, Shuangbai and Xingping counties in southwestern Yunnan province, between 1500 to 2450 meters above sea level. The species is not extremely rare (IUCN 2006)[3767]. It inhabits high mountain areas, frequently in mixed evergreen and broadleaf forests (Fei 1999).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Outside of breeding, these toads live on land, dispersed in the forest. Adults gather in the stream in a ten-day period between the end of February and the middle of March and breed beneath the rocks. The female lays about 170 eggs which are stuck to the undersides of rocks. Eggs are 3.4-3.8 mm in diameter and milky yellow. The shape of the egg mass is highly variable, with some eggs joined in sheets. Many tadpoles live in slow-flowing streams, where rocks are relatively plentiful. In the morning they often hide under rocks or rotten leaves. When disturbed they will quickly swim away. At night they emerge and are active, swimming sluggishly (Fei 1999)[617].

Trends and Threats
The major threat is habitat loss due to agriculture (IUCN 2006)[3767].

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss

References

Fei, L. (1999). Atlas of Amphibians of China. Henan Publishing House of Science and Technology, Zhengzhou.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe. 2006. Global Amphibian Assessment. www.globalamphibians.org. Accessed on 06 July 2007.



Originally submitted by: Sijie Mao (first posted 2007-05-17)
Edited by: Kellie Whittaker (2007-07-06)

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2007 Oreolalax jingdongensis: Jingdong Toothed Toad <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/5300> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Mar 28, 2024.



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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 28 Mar 2024.

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