The rarely sighted Galaxy frog returned to the spotlight after the Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department of Tamil Nadu, shared new images of the frog, as its galaxy-like spots are being studied.
About Galaxy Frog:
It is a small, nocturnal amphibian.
It is one of the rarest amphibians in the world.
The species was first described in 1878 from the Anamalai Hills of Tamil Nadu, and was later rediscovered in 1997, after decades in which it was exceptionally difficult to find.
It belongs to the family Microhylidae and sub-family Melanobatrachinae.
Scientific Name: Melanobatrachus indicus
It is the sole member of its genus.
Habitat and Distribution:
It is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, with records from parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The rarely-sighted creature lives in wet evergreen and other moist forest habitats, generally at elevations of about 1,000 to 1,500 metres.
They are typically found in dark, moist places such as under the cover of leaflitter, rotting logs and rocks.
Features:
It has a slender, elongated body of uniform width.
It measures just 2-3.5 centimeters in length.
The amphibian's dark body is covered with tiny bluish-white spots that resemble stars, while flashes of scarlet-orange appear underneath.
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