Pseudophilautus stellatus

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Pseudophilautus stellatus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Pseudophilautus
Species:
P. stellatus
Binomial name
Pseudophilautus stellatus
(Kelaart, 1853)
Sri Lanka rel-2 location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Pseudophilautus stellatus is only known from the Peak Wilderness in central Sri Lanka
Synonyms [2]
  • Polypedates stellata Kelaart, 1853
  • Rhacophorus (Rhacophorus) stellatus (Kelaart, 1853)
  • Philautus (Kirtixalus) stellatus (Kelaart, 1853)
  • Philautus stellatus (Kelaart, 1853)
  • Kirtixalus stellatus (Kelaart, 1853)

Pseudophilautus stellatus, [2] also known as starry shrub frog or Kelaart's starry shrub frog, [3] is a frog species in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. [2] It was thought to be extinct for 156 years until it was rediscovered in 2009 from the Peak Wilderness, Central Hills of Sri Lanka. This species was previously only known by the lost holotype which was described by Edward Frederick Kelaart in 1853. [3] [4] In 2013, a neotype was designated. [2] [4]

Contents

Description

Pseudophilautus stellatus reaches a snout–vent length of 40–55 mm (1.6–2.2 in) (two males and one female of intermediate size). The head is concave above. The snout is rounded. The interorbital space and the internasal space are concave. The canthus rostralis is rounded; the loreal region is concave. The tympanum is indistinct. The vomerine teeth are present. The lingual papilla is absent. The fingers have rudimentary webbing; the toes are basally webbed. Both fingers and toes bear large discs. Tubercles on hands and feet are present. The snout, the interorbital area, the sides of head, the dorsum, and the dorsal thigh are weakly shagreen. The upper flank is shagreen to weakly areolate. The lower flank is weakly areolate to granulate. The throat is weakly granular. The body is bright green decorated with intermittent pinkish white spots outlined in dark brown. The flanks have transverse dark brown bands on white background. [4]

Habitat and conservation

Pseudophilautus stellatus were found in a cloud forest at elevations of 1,540–1,679 m (5,052–5,509 ft) above sea level. They are nocturnal and live in the canopy, some 1–10 m (3 ft 3 in–32 ft 10 in) above the ground. It is a rare species known from an area totaling just 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi). The area has suffered from a forest dieback, and invasive species are also a threat. It also suffers from severe anthropogenic pressures caused by tourism and illegal gem mining. Moreover, tea plantations in the surrounding area are expanding. [4]

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Mendis Wickramasinghe

L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe is a Sri Lankan herpetologist, taxonomist, naturalist,wildlife photographer. Overcome by an unusual childhood passion on snakes, inspired by the magical diversity of his motherland, he has spent over two decades of his life experiencing the forests across Sri Lanka.

References

  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Pseudophilautus stellatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T58919A156585610. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T58919A156585610.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Pseudophilautus stellatus (Kelaart, 1853)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 Hance, Jeremy (7 March 2013). "Starry frog rediscovered after thought extinct for 160 years". Mongabay. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wickramasinghe, Nethu; Chathuranga, Gayan; Pastorini, Jennifer; Chanaka, Amila; Rajeev, Gehan; Airyarathne, Sameera; Vidanapathirana, Dulan Ranga & Wickramasinghe, L. J. Mendis (2013). "Lost and found: One of the world's most elusive amphibians, Pseudophilautus stellatus (Kelaart 1853) rediscovered". Zootaxa. 3620 (1): 112–128. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3620.1.5. PMID   26120699.
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