An unusually patterned Italian tree frog Hyla intermedia from Salento Peninsula, southern Italy (Amphibia: Hylidae)

Abstract

Hyla intermedia is an endemic Italian tree frog species, distributed from the southern edge of the Alpine massif to the tip of Calabria and into Sicily. Previously referred as the widespread Hyla arborea, it has only recently been recognized as a distinct species. It shows a bright, uniformly green dorsal coloration. We report a previously unknown colour variant, displayed by an individual collected in Salento Peninsula. It differs from the typical form by its dark olive-brown background color with a contrasting marbled pattern on its dorsal and lateral surfaces. Similarly to typical individuals, this specimen was able to lighten its background color under the effect of stress, but its unusual marbled pattern was permanent. Marbled patterns are also known in other Hyla species, but were not so far recorded in H. intermedia.