Anodonthyla eximia

Anodonthyla eximia is a species of frog from Ranomafana in Eastern Madagascar endemic microhylid subfamily Cophylinae. It is the smallest species of the genus Anodonthyla and is the only known terrestrial member of the genus.[1][2]

Anodonthyla eximia
Anodonthyla eximia from Ranomafana National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Subfamily: Cophylinae
Genus: Anodonthyla
Species:
A. eximia
Binomial name
Anodonthyla eximia
Scherz et al., 2019[1]

Range and distribution

Anodonthyla eximia is only known from Maharira mountain in Ranomafana National Park, South Central East Madagascar.[1]

Description

Anodonthyla eximia measures just 11.3 in adult females and 9.7 mm in adult males. Anodonthyla eximia lives on the ground in the leaf litter.[3] It superficially closely resembles other diminutive frogs from Madagascar, such as Mini and Stumpffia, but males still have a strongly developed, pointed prepollex bone that is typical of Anodonthyla.[1]

Habitat and ecology

Like most other miniaturised frogs from Madagascar, Anodonthyla eximia is terrestrial. According to the original description, the only known specimen was collected after cyclonic rains. Males emit high-pitched whistling calls from the leaf litter.[1]

References
  1. Scherz, Mark D.; Hutter, Carl R.; Rakotoarison, Andolalao; Riemann, Jana C.; Rödel, Mark-Oliver; Ndriantsoa, Serge H.; Glos, Julian; Hyde Roberts, Sam & Crottini, Angelica (2019-03-27). "Morphological and ecological convergence at the lower size limit for vertebrates highlighted by five new miniaturised microhylid frog species from three different Madagascan genera". PLOS ONE. 14 (3): e0213314. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213314. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6436692. PMID 30917162.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Anodonthyla eximia Scherz, Hutter, Rakotoarison, Riemann, Rödel, Ndriantsoa, Glos, Roberts, Crottini, Vences, and Glaw, 2019". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  3. (March 28, 2019 Thursday). Meet the mini frogs of Madagascar - the new species we've discovered. Down To Earth. Retrieved from Nexis Uni.
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