PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 95(2), 1982, pp. 386-391 A NEW CAVE PLATYMANTIS (AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE) FROM THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS Walter C. Brown and Angel C. Alcala Abstract. — A new cave-dwelling frog, Platymantis spelaeus (Ranidae), is de-scribed from southern Negros Island in the Philippines. This is the second cave-dweller and the twelfth species of the genus known from this archipelago. Recognized species of the genus Platymantis include two from the Fiji Islands, nine from the Solomons, nine from the Bismarcks, four or five from New Guinea and small associated islands, one from the Palaus, and eleven from the Philip-pines. With the exception of one species (as presently defined) which ranges from New Guinea to the Solomons, all are endemic to the regions indicated. In the western Philippines the genus is absent from Palawan and associated small islands. In the rest of Philippines, three species {P. corrugatus, P. dorsalis and P. guentheri) are widespread, being recorded from Mindanao in the south through Luzon in the north. In addition, P. ingeri occurs in Mindanao and other islands in the southern part, P. hazelae has been recorded from Negros and Luzon Islands, and the very closely related P. polillensis is known from Polillo Island. The remaining five species are known from limited localities on single islands. Platymantis cornutus and P. subterrestris are recorded from Luzon Is-land, P. lawtoni and P. levigatus from Tablas Island to the south of Luzon and east of Mindoro, and P. insulatus from the very small island, Gigante South, off the northeast coast of Panay. Typically these frogs inhabit the rain forest, being either arboreal or in habitats of the duff or under rocks and logs on the forest floor. Only one species, P. insulatus (Brown and Alcala, 1970), has previously been recorded as cave-dwell-ing. Now a second such species is described in this paper. The type series is from two limestone caves in a forested area in southern Negros Island. Measurements of specimens were made using a Helios dial caliper. Head length is measured from the tip of the snout to the posterior edge of the tympanum and head breadth at the widest point near the angle of the jaws. The diameter of the eye is from the anterior to the posterior edge of the socket. Finger and toe lengths are to the proximal edge of the proximal subarticular tubercle. Other measure-ments are probably not subject to much variation in method. Platymantis spelaeus, new species Fig. 1 Holotype. — California Academy of Sciences number 153469, mature female, collected in a limestone cave, Tiyabanan Barrio, Basay, southern Negros Ori-ental, Negros Island, Philippines, by Angel Alcala and C. A. Ross, 18 March 1981. Paratypes. — California Academy of Sciences 153470-83; United States Na-tional Museum 221838-39; Australian Museum, Sydney R98394; Field Museum
BioStor
