经核查和鉴定中国云南等地原定名为大头蛙[Limnonectes kuhlii(=Rana kuhlii Tschudi,1838)1的标本及相关文献资料,并与产地为印度尼西亚的爪哇大头蛙(Limnonectes kuhlii)模式标本的有关描述相对比,两者在其形态、染色体及线粒体基因分化等特征上均有明显区别,因此将云南、广西等地标本的种名改订为新种,即版纳大头蛙(Limnonectes bannaensis,sp.nov.)。其主要鉴别特征是:1)背面较光滑,具少数细肤棱,体后部有小圆疣;2)体背面浅褐色或灰褐色,肤褶上有黑纹;3)蝌蚪尾部具深色斑纹,但尾后半段不呈黑色;4)其染色体组型为2n=22(20m+2st)。而爪哇产大头蛙:1)背面粗糙,体背部、胫部和肛部周围满布圆形疣粒:2)体背面为黑大理石色或为黑色:3)蝌蚪尾部后半段为黑色;4)染色体组型为2n=26,5对大染色体,8对小染色体,除第8对为亚端部着丝粒外,其余均为中部和亚中部着丝粒。
A new, fanged frog Limnonectes bannaensis sp. nov. (Holotype: CIB 570798, adult male, SVL 87.5 mm) has been recognized based on the collections from Jinghong City and Mengla County, Yunnan Province in China, which was previously recognized as L. kuhlii (Tschudi). This new species can be distinguished from the latter by a combination of the following characteristics: (1) Skin on the body is smooth, with few fine folds on the back and a few small rounded tubercles scattered on the rear of the body; (2) Dorsum is brownish or gray brown in color, black stripes are present on areas around the folds; (3) the tail of tadpoles from Mengyang have black spots, but the rear half is not black; (4) Karyotype: 2n=22 (20m+2st); the chromosome length decreases gradually and does not form distinct size groups. Limnonectes kuhlii has: (1) Skin on its body is very wrinkled, covered densely with star-shaped tubercles; (2) marbled black to complete black all over the back; (3) the tadpoles from Java, the terminal half of their tail is black in color; (4) Karyotype: 2n=26, consists of five large pairs and eight small pairs.