Orange-bellied 'starry dwarf frog' discovered in Indian mountains

Astrobatrachus kurichiyana lurks in leaf litter and is sole member of an ancient lineageAn orange-bellied frog with a brown back, covered in tiny spots that resemble a starry sky, has been discovered in a mountain range in India, surprising researchers who said its ancestors branched off on the evolutionary tree from other members of the same frog family tens of millions of years ago.The frog, which is about 2cm to 3cm long, has been namedAstrobatrachus kurichiyana, although some might prefer its more rock-star sobriquet: “starry dwarf frog.”Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Amphibians Animals India Environment Science South and Central Asia World news Source Type: news