Abstract:In August 2022, two specimens of amphibia were collected from the Baima Mountain Nature Reserve in Wulong District, Chongqing (Fig. 1 and 2). Through a comprehensive examination of morphological features, it has been identified as Leptobrachella suiyangensis. A molecular phylogenetic analysis was conducted by comparing the 16S rRNA gene sequences of several Leptobrachella species from GenBank with those obtained from the specimens collected in this study. Oreolalax rhodostigmatus and Leptobrachium tengchongense were selected as outgroups (Table 1). The phylogenetic tree was constructed using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. Additionally, the genetic distance between the Leptobrachella species listed in Table 1 was determined using Kimura’s two-parameter model. The Leptobrachella specimen collected from the Baima Mountain Nature Reserve in Wulong District, Chongqing grouped clustered with L. suiyangensis, with a high support rate of 0.98/99 (BI/ML) (Fig. 3). The genetic distance between L. suiyangensis and the type specimen was found to be 1.2% (Table 3), indicating genetic differentiation between the populations from the two locations. The L. suiyangensis discovered in Wulong, Chongqing exhibited a slightly smaller size (23.0﹣23.4 mm) compared to the type specimen with a minimum body length of 28.7 mm (specimen number:GZNU20180606007), and displayed a brownish-yellow dorsal coloration. Based on the combined morphological comparison and phylogenetic analysis, the collected Leptobrachella specimens were identified as L. suiyangensis, representing a novel amphibian distribution record in Chongqing. The study helps to improve our understanding of the species’ distribution patterns and morphological characteristics, and to develop effective strategies for its long-term conservation and management.