Kingdom Animalia Order Anura Subfamily Rhacophorinae Scientific name Philautus stellatus Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Rhacophoridae Genus Pseudophilautus Higher classification Philautus | |
Similar Pseudophilautus hypomelas, Pseudophilautus nanus, Pseudophilautus adspersus, Pseudophilautus temporalis, Pseudophilautus oxyrhynchus | ||
Pseudophilautus stellatus, commonly known as Kelaart's starry shrub frog, is a frog species in the Rhacophoridae family which is endemic to Sri Lanka. It was thought to be extinct for 156 years until it was rediscovered on November 22, 2009 from the Peak Wilderness, Central Hills of Sri Lanka. This species was previously only known by the lost holotype which was described very vaguely by Edward Frederick Kelaart in 1853. In 2013, a neotype was designated.
Description
Pseudophilautus stellatus reaches a snout vent length of 39.6 to 55.3 mm. The dorsal view of the head is concave, the lateral view of the snout is rounded. The interorbital space and the internarial space are concave. Vomerine teeth and rudimentary webbing between the fingers are present. The snout, the interorbital area, the sides of head, the anterior dorsum, the posterior dorsum, and the dorsal thigh are weekly shagreen. The upper flank is shagreen to weakly areolate. The lower flank is weakly areolate. The throat is weakly granular. The canthus rostralis is rounded, the loreal region is concave. Tubercles on hands and feet are present. The lingual papilla is absent. The skin is lime-green with black out-lined white specks.