During an examination of various specimens previously collected from different locations and times, we discovered seven Murina specimens that had been collected in May 2023 from the Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China. Based on the assessment of morphological characteristics and molecular data analysis, these specimens were determined to represent a previously unidentified species, designated Murina yuanyang sp. nov.

During an examination of various specimens previously collected from different locations at different times, we discovered four Murina specimens that had been collected in October and December 2023 from the Huanglianshan National Nature Reserve, Lvchun, Yunnan, China. Morphologically, these specimens can be distinguished from M. pluvialis and other congeneric species based on a combination of body size, hair distribution, fur colour, and skull and teeth characteristics; molecularly, an analysis of Cyt b and COI gene sequences showed that these specimens form a monophyletic group with M. pluvialis with high posterior probability and bootstrap support values. Furthermore, the genetic distance between our specimens and M. pluvialis was greater than the minimum threshold for interspecific differentiation, indicating that they are phylogenetically close but have diverged. Based on the above assessment of morphological characteristics and molecular data analysis, these specimens were determined to represent a previously unidentified species, designated Murina lvchun Xin Mou & Song Li, sp. nov.

We record Raorchestes parvulus (Boulenger, 1893) for the first time from China based on six specimens collected from southern Yunnan. Phylogenetically these individuals were placed in a clade with R. parvulus from Southeast Asia and pairwise genetic distances in DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene ranged from 0 to 3.1% within the clade. Morphologically these specimens agree with R. parvulus in a series of characters including body size small, a large external vocal sac, vomerine teeth absent, snout slightly shorter than the diameter of the orbit, canthus rostralis indistinct, interorbital space broader than the upper eyelid, tympanum indistinct, fingers free, toes webbed at the base, an inner metatarsal tubercle, tibio-tarsal articulation reaches eye, small warts on the dorsal surfaces of body and limbs, throat smooth, belly granular, a dark triangular blotch between the eyes, a butterfly-like dark band on the back, a dark blotch on each side of lumbar region, and more or less distinct dark bars across limbs. Obvious intraspecific variation in the color pattern occurs within the population. It is possible that previous records of Raorchestes longchuanensis (Yang and Li, 1979) from southern Yunnan might be misidentification of R. parvulus.

We collected nine specimens of Odorrana Fei, Ye & Huang, 1990 from Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, which is close to the type locality of O. heatwolei (Stuart & Bain, 2005) in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos (approximately 60 km). These specimens agree with the diagnosis of O. heatwolei that body size is large in females and relatively small in males, tympanum large in males and relatively small in females, first finger longer than the second, and glandular dorsolateral fold and external vocal sacs present in males, moreover, these specimens have obvious dense tiny black dots scattered on the dorsum, which is consistent with the characters of O. heatwolei and different from O. tiannanensis (Yang & Li, 1980). Phylogenetically, the sequences of these specimens clustered with the sequence of the holotype of O. heatwolei and formed a distinct clade together, which is sister to O. tiannanensis. We resurrect O. heatwolei and extend the distribution of this species to China.

The polymorphic genus Petaurista includes a group of diverse species and subspecies that are adapted for gliding and arboreal life. This morphological diversity has resulted in taxonomic discrepancies, and molecular phylogenetic studies have been limited by taxon sampling. To clarify this controversial taxonomy, we used the cytochrome b gene to reconstruct the phylogeny to obtain a more accurate picture of the evolutionary relationships, species differentiation and divergence pattern of Petaurista. The results revealed a significant inconsistency between taxonomic designations, phylogeny and genetic distances. When 6 recognized species were included, species delimitation revealed 15 putative species, a finding that warrants a comprehensive morphological diagnosis and a re-assessment of the species status. The validity of P. caniceps and P. marica was discussed. An estimation of the molecular divergence time demonstrated that the diversification and speciation of Petaurista began during the later Miocene and may have been affected by the uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and subsequent climate change.

During a small mammal survey in Wanglang National Natural Reserve, Sichuan, China in August–October 2018, we collected four specimens of an Asiatic striped squirrel (genus Tamiops) that could not be assigned morphologically to any described species. Phylogenetic analyses of CYTB and nuDNA sequences strongly supported them in the genus Tamiops. The p-distances of CYTB between these individuals and other species of Tamiops ranged from 17.4 to 19.1%. Morphologically, they differed from their congeners, including T. maritimus, T. mcclellandii, T. rodolphii, and T. swinhoei by pelage, skull, and baculum characteristics. Based on the results of morphological comparisons and molecular analyses, we describe the four specimens as the new species Tamiops minshanica sp. nov.