title: A new species of the Boophis rappiodes group (Anura, Mantellidae) from the Sahamalaza Peninsula, northwest Madagascar, with acoustic monitoring of its nocturnal calling activity.
abstract: A new species of treefrog of the Boophis rappiodes group (Anura, Mantellidae) is described from the Sahamalaza - Iles Radama National Park in northwest Madagascar. This new species is green in colour with bright red speckling across its head and dorsum; similar in morphology to other species of this group including: B. bottae, B. rappiodes, B. erythrodactylus and B. tasymena. The new species can be distinguished by its advertisement call and by a genetic divergence of more than 4.9% in the analysed mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene fragment. Its call consists of two note types: a trill and a click; although similar sounding to B. bottae, the trill note of the new species has a faster pulse rate while the click note is predominantly two-pulsed rather than three. All individuals were detected from the banks of two streams in Ankarafa Forest. The new species represents the only member of the B. rappiodes group endemic to Madagascar's western coast, with the majority of other members known from the eastern rainforest belt. Despite its conspicuous call, it has not been detected from other surveys of northwest Madagascar and it is likely to be a local endemic to the peninsula. The ranges of two other amphibian species also appear restricted to Sahamalaza, and so the area seems to support a high level of endemicity. Although occurring inside a National Park, this species is highly threatened by the continuing decline in the quality and extent of its habitat. Due to these threats it is proposed that this species should be classified as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List criteria.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK ; Bristol Zoological Society, c/o Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA, UK.
authors.forename: Samuel G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Penny
authors.affiliation: Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, I-10123, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andreone
authors.affiliation: CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Nº 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crottini
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Marc W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Holderied
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 496, Antananarivo (101), Madagascar.
authors.forename: Lovasoa Sylviane
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rakotozafy
authors.affiliation: Bristol Zoological Society, c/o Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA, UK.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwitzer
authors.affiliation: Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK ; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY London, UK ; Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gonçalo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rosa
keywords: Amphibia; Boophis ankarafensis sp. n.; Sahamalaza – Iles Radama National Park; advertisement call; conservation