''Microhyla mihintalei'' (vernacular name: red narrow-mouthed frog or Mihintale red narrow-mouthed frog) is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

in the family

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family. Evolution A molecular phylo ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Taxonomy

Earlier thought to be the same species as ''

Microhyla rubra ''Microhyla rubra'' is a species of narrow-mouthed frog endemic to India. Earlier thought to exist also in Sri Lanka, new studies suggested that Sri Lankan population is a different species, now elevated to species level as '' Microhyla mihinta ...

'', several morphological differences suggested that the Sri Lankan populations are different from their Indian counterparts. Thus the Sri Lankan populations were elevated to a new species.

Etymology

The specific name ''mihintalei'' is named after the

Mihintale Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is ...

. Mihintale is also considered as one of the earliest sanctuaries in the world.

Description

Snout to vent size of the adult males is ; the only female in the

type series In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

is . Head is small. The tympanum is indistinct. Supratympanic fold is distinct. Vomerine ridge is absent. Forelimbs are shorter than hand length. Fingers are short and without adhesive discs. Subarticular tubercles are prominent and round in shape. Palmar tubercles are present. Hindlimbs are long, thin and tips are without discs. Hindlimbs are webbed. The dorsumis light reddish-brown in color. A faint light grayish band extends from behind the eye to the groin region. Tympanic area and lateral sides of head are dark grayish. Groin is light gray with black patches. There are two distinct narrow black streaks runs from the snout to the groin. Thigh and tibia light are brown in color. They are marked with irregular black markings. A narrow black patch is visible from anal opening to near the knee. Venter is grayish. Throat and buccal pouch are dark blackish-brown.

Ecology

It is confined to lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. It mostly prefers shady areas, which are closer to streams and river banks. They are known to burrow in soil.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q25383686 mihintalei Frogs of Sri Lanka Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka Amphibians described in 2016 Taxa named by Sathyabhama Das Biju