New amphibian species found in S China (4)

KUNMING, March 11, 2016 -- File photo provided by Kadoorie Conservation China shows a new amphibian species, Leptolalax tengchongensis, found in the Tengchong Section of Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve, south China's Yunnan Province. The new frog was named after the county of Tengchong. To date, it has only been found in evergreen broadleaf forests at elevations between 2,000-2,100 meters. It can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of multiple characters, including its relatively small sizes between 2 and 3 centimeters, shagreen dorsal skin scattered with fine, round-reddish tubercles, toes with rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral fringes, and flanks with several distinct and large dark blotches, according to researchers. The discovery was jointly made by scientists from the Hong Kong-based Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), Sun Yat-Sen University and Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The field research began in April of 2014 and is still ongoing. (Xinhua)