Brachytarsophrys intermedius (Smith, 1921)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Megophryidae > Subfamily: Megophryinae > Genus: Brachytarsophrys > Species: Brachytarsophrys intermedius

Megalophrys intermedius Smith, 1921, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1921: 439. Syntypes: BMNH (11 specimens—formerly M. Smith 2067, 2070, 2073–76, 2080, 2083–86), now BMNH 1947.2.25.21–31 (formerly1921.5.5.37–47) and 1972.1496–98 according to museum records, although the status of the latter series requires confirmation. Type locality: "on the [Langbian] Plateau above 1500 meters", Annam, Vietnam.

Megophrys intermedius — Bourret, 1942, Batr. Indochine: 217.

Megophrys (Megophrys) intermedia — Dubois, 1980, Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Lyon, 49: 472.

Brachytarsophrys intermedia — Rao and Yang, 1997, Asiat. Herpetol. Res., 7: 103-107; Delorme, Dubois, Grosjean, and Ohler, 2006, Alytes, 24: 17; Chen, Zhou, Poyarkov, Stuart, Brown, Lathrop, Wang, Yuan, Jiang, Hou, Chen, Suwannapoom, Nguyen, Duong, Papenfuss, Murphy, Zhang, and Che, 2017, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol., 106: 39.

Brachytarsophrys intermedius — Orlov, Murphy, Ananjeva, Ryabov, and Ho, 2002, Russ. J. Herpetol., 9: 88. Incorrect gender of species name.

Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) intermedia — Mahony, Foley, Biju, and Teeling, 2017, Mol. Biol. Evol., 34: 754. 

Brachytarsophrys intermedius — Ohler, 2023, Bionomina, 35: 54. Demonstration that the species name in a noun in apposition. 

Common Names

Annam Spadefoot Toad (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 86; Nguyen, Ho, and Nguyen, 2005, Checklist Amph. Rept. Vietnam: 11).

Annam Short-legged Toad (Li, Zhang, Lyu, Wang, Li, Liu, Chen, Rao, Jin, Zhang, and Wang, 2020, Zool. Res., Kunming: 114).

Annam Horned Toad (Poyarkov, Nguyen, Popov, Geissler, Pawangkhanant, Neang, Suwannapoom, and Orlov, 2021, Russ. J. Herpetol., 28 (3A): 33). 

Distribution

Central Highlands of southern Vietnam (Dac Lac, Gia Lai, Phu Yen, Lam Dong, and Kon Tum provinces) and Xe Kong Province (Dakchung and Karum districts) in Laos, above 900 m elevation; expected in northeastern Cambodia.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Laos, Vietnam

Likely/Controversially Present: Cambodia

Comment

Rao and Yang, 1997, Asiat. Herpetol. Res., 7: 103–107, suggested that this might be an allopatric part of Brachytarsophrys carinensis. Orlov, Murphy, Ananjeva, Ryabov, and Ho, 2002, Russ. J. Herpetol., 9: 88, noted some confusion in the literature of this species and Brachytarsophrys carinensis, specifically in the Buon Luoi, Vietnam, region. Stuart, 2005, Herpetol. Rev., 36: 473, provided a record for Xe Sap National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Kaleum District, Xe Kong Province, Laos and provided natural history observations. See photograph, map, description of geographic range and habitat, and conservation status in Stuart, Hoffmann, Chanson, Cox, Berridge, Ramani, and Young, 2008, Threatened Amph. World: 434, who suggested that this taxon may be synonymous with Brachytarsophrys carinensis. Tapley, Cutajar, Mahony, Nguyen, Dau, Nguyen, Luong, and Rowley, 2017, Zootaxa, 4344: 465–492, provided comparative morphology information. Tapley, Nguyen, and Le, 2020, Zootaxa, 4845: 26–35, described larval morphology. In the Brachytarsophrys carinense group of Li, Zhang, Lyu, Wang, Li, Liu, Chen, Rao, Jin, Zhang, and Wang, 2020, Zool. Res., Kunming: 105–122. Tapley, Cutajar, Mahony, Nguyen, Dau, Nguyen, Luong, and Rowley, 2017, Zootaxa, 4344: 26–34,  Poyarkov, Nguyen, Popov, Geissler, Pawangkhanant, Neang, Suwannapoom, and Orlov, 2021, Russ. J. Herpetol., 28 (3A): 33, suggested that the species would be found in northeastern Cambodia. Stuart, Seateun, Sivongxay, and Phimmachak, 2025 "2024", in Wildlife Lao PDR: 24, briefly summarized literature, taxonomy, habitat, and range for Laos.  

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