Pelophylax mongolicus (Schmidt, 1925) comb. nov. Rana nigromaculata mongolia Schmidt, 1925 Rana tenggerensis Zhao, Macey & Papenfuss, 1988 Pelophylax nigromaculatus nigromaculatus — Fei et al. 1990; Matsui et al. 1995 Hylarana tenggerensis —Chen et al. 2005 Pelophylax tenggerensis — Frost et al. 2006 Type materials. Holotype. AMNH 18149, adult male, collected from “ Mai Tai Chao, northern Shansi [= currently Meidaizhao Town, Tumed Right Banner, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia], China ” (Schmidt, 1925). Specimens examined. The holotype of Rana tenggerensis, adult male CIB 80001 shared with California Academic of Science museum label CAS 166936 (Figure 4), from “along the north shore of the Yellow River [Huang He], at Shapatou Desert Research Station, Shapotou (37°30’N, 104°58’E), Yinnan Prefecture [= currently Shapotou District, Zhongwei City], Ningxia, China ”, and 11 newly collected specimens (five adult males, five adult females, and one subadult): adult female SYAU BAA000030, from Shapotou Park, Shapotou District, Zhongwei City, Ningxia (37.4709°N, 105.0043°E, 1180 m a.s.l.); adult female SYAU BAA000031 and subadult SYAU BAA000032, from Salaqi Ecological Park, Tumed Right Banner, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia; adult male CIB 118075, from Fenghuang Park, Yinchuan City, Ningxia (40.5788°N, 110.5195°E, 1003 m a.s.l.); adult male SYAU BAA000021, from Yongchenghu Park, Fengxiang County, Baoji City, Shaanxi (34.5089°N, 107.4281°E, 782 m a.s.l.); adult males SYAU BAA000001–02, IVPP OV2728, and adult females SYS a008905, IVPP OV2729, SYAU BAA000003 from Liupan Mountain Nature Reserve, Jingyuan County, Guyuan City, Ningxia (35.4139°N, 106.3861°E, 1673 m a.s.l.). Diagnosis. (1) large body size, SVL 53.6–65.7 mm adult males (n = 6), SVL 61.8–65.5 mm in adult females (n = 5); (2) head width slightly larger than head length, maxillary gland pronounced; (3) tympanum diameter slightly smaller than the eye diameter; (4) loreal region oblique, slightly concave; (5) nostril located dorsally, closer to the eye than to the tip of snout; (6) vomerine teeth two short rows, away from the maxillary teeth; (7) tongue ovoid, free-margin notched; (8) fingers with rudimentary webs; toes with entire webs, webbing formula I 0 - -1 II ⅓-1⅓ III ⅔-2 - IV 2-⅔ V; (9) hind limb shorter, TL/SVL 0.39–0.45 (n = 11); heels not meeting. Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Common names. “Mongolia Pond Frog” in English / “ žflḛü (meng ce zhe wa)” in Chinese. Re-description. The measurements of the examined adult specimens (n = 11) are given in Table 3. Body robust and large-sized, SVL 53.6–65.7 mm (n = 6) in adult males and 61.8–65.5 mm (n = 5) in adult females. Head flat in lateral view, width slightly larger than length (HW/HL 1.07–1.22, n = 11); snout blunt triangularshaped, distinctly protruding beyond lower jaw, obtuse in lateral view and rounded in dorsal view; canthus rostralis inconspicuous, loreal region oblique, slightly concave; nostril rounded, located dorsally, slightly raised, closer to the eye than to the tip of snout; eye orientation vertically, horizontal ellipse-shaped; interorbital space narrower than internarial distance; tympanum large, nearly round and clear, edge visible; maxillary glands thin and prominent; vomerine teeth two short rows, away from the maxillary teeth; tongue oval, free-margin notched. Forelimbs moderate, lower arm 25–30% (n = 11) of SVL and hand 29–35% (n = 11) of SVL; fingers distinctly thin and long, relative finger lengths II

Published as part of Zhou, Shengbo, He, Li, Ma, Siyu, Xu, Shujun, Zhai, Qiang, Guan, Ping, Wang, Hui & Shi, Jingsong, 2022, Taxonomic status of Rana nigromaculata mongolia and the validity of Pelophylax tenggerensis (Anura, Ranidae), pp. 486-500 in Zootaxa 5165 (4) on pages 495-497, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5165.4.2, http://zenodo.org/record/6853911