Kingdom Animalia Scientific name Melanobatrachus indicus Higher classification Melanobatrachus Order Frog | Family Microhylidae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Genus Melanobatrachus
Beddome, 1878 Similar Frog, Uperodon, Ramanella, Ramanella montana, Ramanella anamalaiensis | ||
Melanobatrachus is a genus of narrow-mouthed frogs (Microhylidae family) that contains a single species, Melanobatrachus indicus. It is known under a number of common names, including Kerala Hills frog, black microhylid frog, and Malabar black narrow-mouthed frog. It is endemic to wet evergreen forests of southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of India.
Melanobatrachus indicus is a rare species that was only rediscovered in 1997. It lives amongst leaf-litter, rocks and other ground cover of moist evergreen tropical forests.
Melanobatrachus indicus is an Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. It is the sole species in subfamily Melanobatrachinae, and it is classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.