A new species of Crinia (Anura: Myobatrachidae) from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Abstract

We describe, as a new species, the northern Flinders Ranges populations of the myobatrachid frog Crinia riparia. It is distinguished from C. riparia sensu stricto on the basis of reciprocal monophyly of mitochondrial genes, absence of haplotype sharing in a nuclear gene, fixed differences in allozyme loci and differences in larval oral disc morphology consistent with less adaptation to stream habitats. We were not able to reliably distinguish the taxa on the basis of adult morphology. The geographic range of C. riparia sensu stricto is now reduced to a 75 kilometre section of the southern Flinders Ranges from Napperby Gorge in the south to Mt Brown in the north suggesting that an assessment of its conservation status is warranted.