Starry dwarf frog
| Starry dwarf frog | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Anura |
| Sub-order | Neobatrachia |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Ranoidea |
| Family | Nyctibatrachidae |
| Sub-family | Astrobatrachinae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Astrobatrachus |
| Species Information | |
| Species | A. kurichiyana |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | Unknown |
The starry dwarf frog (Astrobatrachus kurichiyana) is a recently discovered species of frog of the family Nyctibatrachidae, and found within the Wayanad Plateau of southwestern India. The scientific name honors the Kurichiyana people of the area.
Description
The starry dwarf frog is very small; about 1.14 inches long, or slightly larger than a U.S. quarter. It is blackish-brown in color, giving way to orange on its belly and the undersides of all four legs. Marking much of its body are small, white spots, resembling a "starry sky"[1] according to researchers. The frog is exclusively nocturnal, hiding under dead leaves during the day, and will scamper immediately under them if a flashlight is shown on them.
Range and habitat
The starry dwarf frog so far has been found the Wayanad Plateau, specifically a hill range known as Kurichiyarmala in the Western Ghats mountain range, Wayanad district, southwestern India. The habitat the frog lives in is montane cloud forest, with enough forest litter deposited to provide year-round cover.
Threats
The species was first discovered in 2010, and described in a paper first published in 2019[2]. Habitat degradation is currently recognized as a threat to the frog's existence, but as of 2019 little is known of its actual range. Its finding in a reserved forest has enabled some protection[3].
