Kinabalu Dwarf Toad

About the Kinabalu Dwarf Toad

Pelophryne misera, the black flathead toad or Kinabalu dwarf toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to northwestern Borneo and known from Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia), although its distribution is likely to be broader and might extend to Kalimantan (Indonesia). It was first described from specimens collected from Mount Kinabalu.

Palawan toadlet Pelophryne albotaeniata from Palawan, the Philippines, is morphologically similar to Pelophryne misera and might be its subspecies. Pelophryne misera are small, stout toads. Males measure 16–21 mm (0.63–0.83 in) and females 18–23 mm (0.71–0.91 in) in snout–vent length. Colouration is dark brown, with blackish markings on the head, back, and flanks. The snout is blunt and has truncated vertical profile. The skin has warts. Hands and feet have fleshy webbing, reaching the tips of the first three fingers in the hands.

Pelophryne misera are sexually dimorphic: males have a median subgular vocal sac, a row of yellow or brown spinules under the mandible, and a yellow or brown nuptial pad on the first finger. They also have minute spinules distributed over their whole dorsum.

Males are... Wikipedia →