Vibrissaphora ailaonica
SUBFAMILY
Leptobrachiinae
TAXONOMY
Vibrissaphora ailaonica Yang Chen, and Ma, 1983, Jingdong County, Yunnan, China. Some authorities include Vibrissaphora in the genus Leptobrachium.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Ailao spiny toad.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Males are slightly larger than females. Males can grow to 3.2 in (81.6 mm) and females to 3.1 in (78.5 mm). Both sexes have a fine network of ridges over the body and limbs. Keratinized spines develop on the upper lip of the males; females have white spots that correspond to the spines found on the males. The adults are reddish brown with indistinct dark spots; juveniles are light brown with more conspicuous spotting. The pupil is vertical, and the iris is nearly black except for the top third, which is a striking lime green. Tadpoles have a thick body and a subterminal mouth; the body and tail are brown with a light brown line above that bifurcates into a Y where the body joins the tail.
DISTRIBUTION
This species is distributed across the Ailao Shan and Wuliang Shan mountain ranges; a southern extension of the Tibet plateau, in Yunnan province, China; and probably northern Vietnam.
HABITAT
The Ailao moustache toad prefers closed canopy montane forests at elevations of 7,220–8,200 ft (2,200–2,500 m).
BEHAVIOR
This species is primarily terrestrial, though males become aquatic during the breeding season.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Not known.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
The breeding season occurs in late winter and lasts 2–6 weeks. There appears to be a considerable paternal investment; males construct nests underneath large boulders and undergo substantial physical transformations. At the onset of the breeding season, 20–60 keratinized spines develop on the upper lip of the males; the forearms become very thick, and the skin begins to loosen, forming numerous folds on the back and sides of the body. After the female deposits eggs in the nest, the male stays to guard the eggs while attempting to attract additional females. Nesting sites may contain several males and several egg masses. Fertilized eggs take more than a month to develop into tadpoles, and metamorphosis does not take place for two years.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
