Sri Lanka petite shrub frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sri Lanka petite shrub frog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Pseudophilautus |
| Species: |
P. tanu
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| Binomial name | |
| Pseudophilautus tanu (Meegaskumbura, Manamendra-Arachchi, and Pethiyagoda, 2009)
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| Synonyms | |
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Philautus tanu Meegaskumbura, Manamendra-Arachchi, and Pethiyagoda, 2009 |
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The Sri Lanka petite shrub frog, also known as Pseudophilautus tanu, is a tiny frog that lives only in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. Scientists only recently discovered this special frog. It has only been found in two places: the Beraliya and Kanneliya Forest Reserves in the Galle District. Its scientific name, tanu, comes from the Sinhalese word for "slender." This name describes how thin this frog looks.
Contents
What Does This Frog Look Like?
This frog is quite small! Adult male frogs are about 13.5 to 13.9 millimeters (which is less than an inch) long from their snout to their rear. We don't have information about the size of female frogs yet.
Frog's Head and Face
The frog's snout, or nose area, is somewhat pointed. It has a clear eardrum, called a tympanum, which is shaped like a tall oval.
Frog's Fingers and Toes
The tips of its fingers have special pads with grooves around them. These frogs do not have any webbing or extra skin flaps on their fingers. However, their toes do have webbing and also have pads with grooves.
Frog's Skin Color and Patterns
The top part of the frog's head and body is a light brown color. It has about eight dark-brown stripes of different widths on its back. There is also a dark-brown stripe that starts at its snout, goes through its eye, and then fades away on its side. The underside of the frog is white with some scattered brown spots.
Where Does This Frog Live?
The Sri Lanka petite shrub frog lives in the lowland wet areas of Sri Lanka. You can find it on the edges of forests, especially in open areas with shrubs. These frogs live at a low elevation, about 24 to 45 meters (around 80 to 150 feet) above sea level.
How Does This Frog Live?
Male frogs have been seen sitting on the leaves of shrubs. They usually sit about 0.5 to 1 meter (about 1.5 to 3 feet) above the ground.
Protecting This Special Frog
The Sri Lanka petite shrub frog is common in the places where it lives. In the Kanneliya forest, it was one of the most common frogs found in areas with lots of ferns. Another common frog there is Pseudophilautus hoipollo.
However, even though it's common in its habitat, the areas around the forest edges are always at risk. People's activities can put pressure on these unprotected areas. This means it's important to protect these forest edges so that the Sri Lanka petite shrub frog and other animals can continue to thrive.
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 | Juan E. Gilbert |
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