Pseudophilautus eximius
Pseudophilautus eximius is an extinct species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It was endemic to Sri Lanka.[1][2][3] It is only known from the holotype collected in 1933.[1][3]
| Pseudophilautus eximius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Pseudophilautus |
| Species: | P. eximius |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudophilautus eximius (Shreve, 1940) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Philautus eximius Shreve, 1940 | |
Description
The holotype is an adult female measuring 35 mm (1.4 in) in snout–vent length. The body is stout with a flat head. The snout is bluntly angled dorsally and rounded in profile. No tympanum is visible, but the supratympanic fold is distinct. The canthal edges are sharp. Skin is smooth except for the granular chest and belly. The fingers have dermal fringes whereas the toes are medially webbed. The upper parts of the alcohol-preserved specimen are yellowish light-brown with dark-brown markings. The underside is pale yellow.[3]
This species resembles Pseudophilautus variabilis.[2][3]
Distribution and conservation
The holotype was collected in 1933 from "Queenwood Estate, Dimbulla, Ceylon" at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level. No other specimens are known, despite extensive field surveys, also at the type locality.[1][3] The habitat requirements of this species are unknown. The reasons for its demise are also unknown, but probably involve habitat loss.[1]
References
- Manamendra-Arachchi, K. & de Silva, A. (2004). "Pseudophilautus eximius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58839A11848311. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58839A11848311.en.
- Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Pseudophilautus eximius (Shreve, 1940)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum & Pethiyagoda, Rohan (2005). "The Sri Lankan shrub-frogs of the genus Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Ranidae: Rhacophorinae), with description of 27 new species" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl. 12: 163–303. (Philautus eximius: p. 202–204)