''Nannophrys guentheri'' (Gunther's streamlined frog) is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

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 Dicroglossidae. It was

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 ...

. The species was first identified in 1882 by George Boulenger and named after the German-born British zoologist

Albert Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther (3 October 1830 – 1 February 1914), was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Günther is ranked the second-most productive re ...

. It is not known where in Sri Lanka the specimens were found.

Taxonomy

''Nannophrys guentheri'' has not been observed since the type specimens were collected. These are poorly preserved and might not be distinct from ''

Nannophrys ceylonensis ''Nannophrys ceylonensis'', commonly known as the Sri Lanka rock frog or the Ceylon streamlined frog, is a species of frog. It used to be placed in the large frog family Ranidae but a phylogenetic study was undertaken using DNA sequences and it ...

''. Genus ''Nannophrys'' used to be placed in the large frog

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Ranidae but a phylogenetic study was undertaken using DNA sequences and it is now included in the family Dicroglossidae.

Description

''Nannophrys guentheri'' was a small species, with snout to vent length given as 28.5 mm for males.

Vomerine teeth The vomer (; lat, vomer, lit=ploughshare) is one of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the left and right palatine bones, and the left and right maxill ...

are in two indistinct groups behind the

choanae The choanae (singular choana), posterior nasal apertures or internal nostrils are two openings found at the back of the nasal passage between the nasal cavity and the throat in tetrapods, including humans and other mammals (as well as crocodilia ...

(the inner part of the nostrils). Lower jaw has slight traces of bony prominences in front. Head is rather small and not bony. Snout is short, rounded, with angular canthus rostralis. Interorbital space is narrower than the upper eyelid and tympanum is not distinctly defined. First finger is shorter than second and the difference of length between the first and second fingers is much greater than that between the second and third. The tips of fingers are pointed, while the toes have a short, but very distinct web at the base. Subarticular tubercles of fingers and toes are not well developed: inner metatarsal tubercle is elongate and rather indistinct while there is no outer tubercle. The hind limb being carried forwards along the body the tibiotarsal articulation reaches the tip of the snout. Skin is strongly tubercular above and smooth beneath. A fold of the skin unites the posterior edges of the upper eyelids, and extends from the eye, over the tympanum and to the shoulder. Upper parts are brown and marbled with darker colour. The upper lip and the sides of body and limbs have small light spots ; the hind limbs are cross-barred. The underside of the frog is uniform whitish. Males have two internal

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...

s. The longer hind limbs and the smaller head give this species a much more slender appearance than the related ''

'': the proportions of the fingers are also important differences between the two species.

Taxonomy

Description

References

Further reading