Leptobrachium boringii


Leptobrachium boringii, commonly known as the Emei moustache toad or Taosze spiny toad, is a species of amphibian in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to China where it is found in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces. "Emei" or "Taosze" in its common names refer to its type locality, Taosze on Mount Emei, Sichuan. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, grassland, arable land, and rural gardens near rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Reproductive behaviour and strategies

Male Leptobrachium boringii exhibit conspicuous keratinized nuptial spines that grow on their upper lip during the breeding season—these are the "moustache" and "spines" referred to in its common names. Moreover, male Leptobrachium boringii are larger, on average in snout-vent length, than females, which are on average in SVL. These unusual features seem to relate to male–male combat for best breeding territories and/or female preference for larger males. However, also multiple paternity could be observed, suggesting that some males use the sneaker strategy to fertilize eggs, instead of defending territories.