![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
A new, sibling, species of tree frog of the Hyla arborea group is described from Jerusalem and the adjacent Judean hills. Hyla heinzsteinitzi sp. n. differs from the sympatric common H. savignyi of the Middle East in head shape, as the head is relatively wider and the snout more truncate; in call structure, as in each segment of its advertisement call the energy peaks abruptly near the segment's onset; and in colouration, as its dark lateral band is highly disrupted. In at least one of the H. heinzsteinitzi populations the frogs' green‐phase colour is turquoise rather than green. The distinction of the two species is demonstrable by Principal Coordinate Analysis. Hyla heinzsteinitzi seems to be endemic to a small area within the range of distribution of H. savignyi; here the two are sympatric and at least sometimes apparently syntopic. The ecological relations of the two are unknown. The new species is probably endangered.
∗. A contribution from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Systematics course (Prof. J. Heller).
Acknowledgements
We thank R. Bour, W. Duellman, C. Gerhardt, H. Grillitsch, V. Gvozdik, A. Ibrahim, I. Ineich, J. Moravec, H. Schneider and M. Tyler for biological information, advice and literature; R. Bour, V. Gvozdik, J. Moravec and M. Vences, moreover, for helpful comments on the manuscript, even if not all could be followed; L. Di Segni, M. Gichon, R. Ortal, G. Smit, Y. Tsafrir, A. Vardi and the late J. Wahrman for advice and literature on matters cultural; the curators and staff of HUJ‐R, MHNL, MTKD and TAU for loan of, or access to, specimens; the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority for information; B. Shacham and E. Shani for help with field work; D. Cahen and M. P. Pener for providing food for the frogs; A. Ben‐Nun, R. Granot and D. Zelnick for enabling the use of equipment; M. Sela for generous radiography; A. Tsoar for digitizing a call sample for public deposition; H. Seligmann for advice on, and E. Lachman and N. Sivan for help with, statistics; H. Carmely for office support; and last not least, Nurit Sharet and Zehava Cohen for patient drawing. This project remains obligated to the donors of the Key Elemetric Sonagraph with which the recordings of Shy (Citation1978, Citation1980) were analysed: the Greater Boston Chapter of the National Genetics Foundation (USA) and the children of Rose and Max Richter.
Notes
∗. A contribution from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Systematics course (Prof. J. Heller).