Not recorded since 1876 :

Shrub frog rediscovered in Sri Lanka

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

A shrub frog endemic to Sri Lanka was rediscovered from the Sri Pada area by a group of local researchers during recent explorations. The frog, scientifically known as Pseudophilautus hypomelas, was not recorded since 1876 and was thought to be extinct.

The research group was led by expert herpetologist Mendis Wickramasinghe. 'Pseudophilautus' is a genus of shrub frogs endemic to the Western Ghats of south-western India and Sri Lanka where the majority of the species are found. Many of the genus are already extinct.

As Wickramasinghe explained, carefully studying museum specimens led the team to confirm the identify of their collected specimens as Pseudophilautus hypomelas. Pseudophilautus hypomelas was known only from the specimen at the Natural History Museum, London, according to the research team.

Despite extensive field studies carried out over the past decade by several local and foreign researchers in Sri Lanka, this species was reported to be extinct. This particular shrub frog was identified by its exact resemblance to the specimen at the London museum with its comparable size, smooth skin, similar ratios of measurements and above all by the markings on its head and the blotching on the ventral side.

According to conservationists, Sri Lanka has the highest number of extinct amphibians which counts up to 19 species.

The recent increase in the number of researches on amphibians of Sri Lanka, especially during the past decade, has resulted in several new species being described with several more to be described.

According to researchers, this rediscovered frog should be considered as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria as it is recorded from a single location, the Sri Pada.

The area, which is also known as the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, is one of the few remaining areas in Sri Lanka with a continuous natural forest with a cover of altitudinal graded forest types, ranging from lowland mixed montane cloud forests and is an area of great biological diversity. The habitat is under severe threat such as over-exploitation of natural resources for tea cultivation, forest fragmentation and use of agrochemicals.