Scutiger ching sp. nov. Wang, Yu, and Che (Figs. 3, 10–12) Holotype: KIZ 51834, adult male, from the western slope of the Gaoligong Mountain, facing to the Dulong Valley, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China (98.46359ºE, 27.84004ºN, elevation 2874 m, GCJ02). Collected by Kai Wang, Zhuo-Yu Lu, Yi-Lin Zhang, and Xian-Kun Huang on 27 May, 2023. Paratype (one adult male, two adult females): KIZ 51836, adult female, share the same collection information as the holotype; KIZ 038604, adult male, KIZ 038603, adult female, collected by Zhong-Bin Yu, Dong An, and Tian-En Chen, from the Dulong Valley (98.50400ºE, 27.79778ºN, elevation 3006 m, GCJ02), collected by Zhongbin Yu, Dong An, and Xian-Kun Huang on 27 July 2021. Etymology: The species name, ching, is derived from the language Trung, the language of the local ethic minority group (Dulong) at the type locality of the new species. It means small and slender, which describes the diagnostic body shape of the new species. We chose the native language of the Dulong People to honor the harmony between the local ethnic culture and nature ecosystem. We suggest Elf Lazy Toad as its English common name, and “ ƜÑÊẊḆ ” (Pinyin: Shan Jing Chi Tu Chan) as its Chinese common name. Diagnosis: Scutiger ching sp. nov. can be diagnosed from congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: (1) body size small, SVL 37.5–45.1mm; (2) forearm and hand length long, LFHL 50.4–54.7% SVL in males; (3) posterior head short, PHL 40.4–43.2% HL; (4) inter-nare distance large, IND 26.3–30.6% HW; (5) snout long, SEL 36.7–43.2% HL; (6) eyes large, ED 28.8–33.1% HL; (5) single pair of pectoral glands and axillary glands present in males; (6) fine black spines present on pectoral glands, axillary glands, base of ventral forelimbs, peripheral ventral chin, ventral cloaca, and all tubercles on dorsal head, body, and limbs in breeding males; (7) vomerine teeth absence; (8) maxillary teeth fine, presence; (9) tongue slightly notched; (9) nuptial pads present on first three fingers in males, covered with enlarged black spines; (10) distinct enlarged, raised tubercles scattered on dorsal and lateral forearms and anterior brachium; (11) smaller, raised tubercles present on dorsal eyelids and supralabial as well as posterior jaw, covered with dense fine spinules during mating season in males; (12) vocal sacs present in males; (13) supratympanic fold strongly developed, extend posterior of axillary; (14) toes feebly webbed with weak dermal fringes; (15) parietal head flat; and (16) distinct, raised tubercles densely, irregularly scattered on dorsum and dorsal limbs, some large some fine. Comparison: Morphologically, S. ching sp. nov. is most similar to S. tengchongensis, in which both species are closely distributed and have small body size, nuptial spines on the first three fingers, and spinules on dorsal surfaces of head, body, and limbs in males. However, S. ching sp. nov. can be diagnosed readily from S. tengchongensis by the presence of vocal sacs in males (vs. absence), irregularly scattered tubercles on dorsum (vs. regularly aligned as lateral rows), and by having longer hind limbs in males (HLL 148.3–156.5% SVL in males vs. 131.9–141.8%). Additionally, S. ching sp. nov. is similar to S. gongshanensis, in which both species are closely distributed and having similar body size and vocal sacs in males. However, S. ching sp. nov. differs from S. gongshanensis by having nuptial spines on first three fingers in males (vs. only first two fingers) and much longer hind limbs in males (HLL HLL 148.3–156.5% SVL in males vs. 125.5–139.0%). For remaining recognized species of the genus, S. ching sp. nov. differs from most recognized congeners (i.e. S. adungensis, S. biluoensis, S. glandulatus, S. jiulongensis, S. kanjiroba, S. maculatus, S. mammatus, S. meiliensis, S. muliensis, S. nyingchiensis, S. occitentalis, S. pingwuensis, S. spinosus, S. tuberculatus, S. wanglangensis) by having a smaller adult body size (SVL 55mm in both sexes). For the remaining congeners with similar body size, S. ching sp. nov. differs from the S. boulengeri complex (including S. boulengeri and S. bangdaensis, as well as the two synonyms of S. boulengeri, namely Cophophryne alticola and Aelurophryne tainingensis), as well as S. bhutanensis, S. chintingensis, S. feiliangi, S. liupanensis, S. luozhaensis, S. ningshanensis, S. sikkimensis, and S. wolong by the presence of vocal sacs in males (vs. absence). For the new species described above, S. ching sp. nov. differs from S. lisu sp. nov. by the presence of vocal sacs in males (vs. absence) and having a much smaller body size (SVL 75 mm); and from S. pardalotus sp. nov. by having more slender forelimbs (thick and more robust), a distinct body coloration (nearly uniform Olive Horn Color [Color 16] with faint, irregular Clay Color [Color 18] patches vs. Pale Pinkish Buff (Color 3) to Light Orange Yellow (Color 7) with Brunt Umber (Color 48) spots and dorsolateral stripes), and much weaker webbing on toes (rudimentary or no webbing vs. half-webbed). Description of the holotype: Adult male, slim, small, SVL 37.5mm; head moderate, width about equal to length, HW 98.5% HL; parietal region flat; snout relatively long, projecting beyond jaw, SEL 40.4% HL; lateral supralabial convex posterior to nares; nares about equal between eye and snout, facing dorsolaterally, further apart from each other, IN 30.6% HW; loreal slightly concave; canthus rostralis distinct; eye raised, large, ED 33.1% HL, DEW 25.0% HL; iris ellipse shaped, vertically oriented; tympanum concealed; frontal and temporal flat; supratympanic folds well developed, raised, extending posteriorly to posterior jaw only. Limbs slender; forearm long, FAL 54.7% SVL, slightly thicken toward elbows, FAW 24.4% FAL; fingers slender, free of webbing, finger length I

Published as part of Wang, Kai, Yu, Zhongbin, Wu, Yunhe, Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, De, Xiong, Yun, Ye, Xin-Long, Duan, Jian-Ping, Li, Hai-Jun, Li, Jie, Jin, Jie-Qiong, Yang, Shen- Pin & Che, Jing, 2025, Three New Species of the Genus Scutiger (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from the Gaoligong Mountain Range in China, with An Updated Key to the Chinese Congeners, pp. 203-230 in Zootaxa 5725 (2) on pages 221-224, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5725.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/17868962