Variable bubble-nest frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Variable bubble-nest 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. variabilis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Pseudophilautus variabilis (Günther, 1858)
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| Synonyms | |
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Ixalus variabilis Günther, 1858 |
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The Pseudophilautus variabilis, also known as the variable bush frog or variable bubble-nest frog, was a type of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. This frog is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world.
It used to live only in Sri Lanka, an island country. When an animal or plant lives only in one specific place, it is called endemic to that area. Even though people have searched a lot recently, this frog has not been seen since before 1858. We don't know exactly why it disappeared, but it was probably because its home, or habitat, was destroyed.
The Variable Bush Frog
This section tells you more about the variable bush frog. It was a unique creature from Sri Lanka.
How We Know About It
We only know about the Pseudophilautus variabilis from one main frog specimen. This special specimen is called a lectotype. Scientists chose this specific female frog, which was drawn in the original description of the species, as the main example in 2001.
There were other frog specimens collected at the same time. These were from different places in "Ceylon" (the old name for Sri Lanka). In 2007, scientists looked at one of these other specimens. They realized it was actually a different kind of frog! They named it a new species, Pseudophilautus pardus.
Sometimes, another frog from India, called Pseudophilautus wynaadensis, was mistakenly thought to be the same as the variable bush frog. But they are different species.
What Did It Look Like?
The main specimen of the variable bush frog, which was an adult female, was about 36 to 37 millimeters long from its snout (nose) to its vent (tail end). That's about the size of a small paperclip!
Its body was somewhat long. The part of its ear called the tympanum (like an eardrum) was not very clear to see. But the fold of skin above its ear was easy to notice.
Its fingers and toes were not too short or too long. Its fingers had small skin edges, but they were not webbed like a duck's foot. However, its toes had some webbing in the middle.
See also
In Spanish: Pseudophilautus variabilis para niños
