Showing posts with label Amphibians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amphibians. Show all posts

Friday, August 19, 2022

Knuckles Corrugated Water Frog/දුම්බර වක රැලි දිය මැඩියා (Lankanectes pera)

An endemic and critically endangered frog restricted to the clear, shallow and slow flowing streams with sand and rock-strewn substrates in closed canopy sub montane and montane forests of the Knuckles range (Above 1100 m elevations in Dothalugala, Bambarella, Knuckles Peaks and Riveston areas) . Males can be found under rocks or rock-crevices in flowing water. Tadpoles of this frog occurs in deeper regions of the stream where decaying vegetation gathers. Nocturnal.


Monday, January 10, 2022

Sri Lanka Golden-backed Frog/රන්වන් දිය මැඩියා (Indosylvirana serendipi)

 An endemic frog inhabiting stream banks, coastal marshy areas, lowland rain forests and plantations of the wet zone from sea level to about 1000  m elevations. Often found on rocks, low vegetation and leaf litter close to water sources. Diurnal activities can be observed in rain forest areas though mostly active during the night. 

Friday, January 7, 2022

Jerdon's Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus crassus)

Jerdon's Bull Frog is one of the largest frogs  in Sri Lanka, inhabiting paddy fields, marshlands, tanks, rivers, drains and such other aquatic habitats. It also found on land close to water bodies, especially during the night. Common and widely distributed in all climatic zones from sea level to about 600 m elevations. Jerdon's Bull Frog is mostly active during the rainy season and hides inside cracks in earth, dried ponds and other water bodies, holes in rivers and stream banks, underneath logs and stones, etc. during the dry season. 

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Frankenberg's Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus frankenbergi)

An endemic shrub frog confined to the cloud forests above 1850 m a.s.l. of Horton Plains and Namunukula Peak.  Dorsal color of this species is varying from leaf green to light or dark brown, sometimes mottled or spotted with lighter or darker colors. 

Snout-vent length - less than 30 mm 

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Monday, December 14, 2020

ශ්‍රී ලංකා මුව පටු මැඩියා[Sri Lanka Muwa Patu Mediya]/Sri Lanka Narrow Mouth Frog (Microhyla zeylanica)

Common endemic frog found around pools and streams in montane grasslands and forests from 1700 m to about 1890 m elevations. It is recorded from Horton Plains National Park, Hakgala, Bopattalawa, Nuwaraeliya and Pattipola areas. Eventhough the smallest microhylid frog in Sri Lanka (About 2.3 cm from snout to vent),  it has a very loud call.   

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

මහඑලිය පඳුරු මැඩියා[Mahaeliya Panduru Madiya]/Horton Plains Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus alto)

An endemic shrub frog found only in the higher hills from 1850 to 2300 m elevations. It is recorded from forest borders of Horton Plains National Park, Ambewela and Pattipola. It can be observed on leaf litter of the forest floor, moss and fern covered rocks and among Strobilanthus roots and other moss covered roots of large trees. Horton Plains Shrub Frog is active during both the day and night. 

Saturday, June 22, 2019

මහනුවර පඳුරු මැඩියා/Kandyan Shrub Frog(Pseudophilautus rus)

An endemic shrub frog common in low vegetation, leaf litter, moss covered stones and logs in both shaded forests as well as the anthropogenic habitats of the Kandy district from 500-800 m a.s.l. It is very active at dusk and can be seen calling from leaves and branches of shrubs less than 1 m above the ground. It hides inside leaf litter, crevices in trees and cracks in the soil during the day time. So far it has been reported from KandyPeradeniyaGelioyaGampola, etc. Peabotuwage et. al. recorded it from Uda Maliboda trail of the Samanala Nature Reserve in 2012. This one was also photographed in the same trail at a tributary of Seethawaka Ganga river.

Peabotuwage I, Bandara IN, Samarasinghe D, Perera N, Madawala M, Amarasinghe C, Kandambi HKD, Karunarathna DMSS. 2012. Range extension for Duttaphrynus kotagamai (Amphibia: Bufonidae) and a preliminary checklist of herpetofauna from the Uda Mäliboda Trail in Samanala
Nature Reserve, Sri Lanka. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 5(2):52-64(e38).

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

මුක්කං හොඹු ඇති පඳුරු මැඩියා/Pug nosed Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus silus)

An endemic shrub frog inhabiting stream banks of both closed canopy rain forests and  open anthropogenic habitats from 1550 to 1600 m elevations. Two populations occurs near Agarapatana and Haputale on either side of the Horton plains plateau.  As per Anslem de Silva another population  found in Mandaramnuwara (de Silva A, 2009). This one was photographed at Bambarakanda waterfalls close to the Thangamale sanctuary where Haputale population was recorded.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

විශාල පාදැති පඳුරු මැඩියා/Bigfoot Shrub Frog(Pseudophilautus macropus)

An endemic shrub frog occurs only in the Knuckles massif from 600 to 760 m elevations. It found only on boulders and rock crevices in or adjacent to the streams flowing through both closed and open canopy habitats and rarely on tree trunks along stream banks.  

Sunday, June 16, 2019

දුම්බර පඳුරු මැඩියා/Knuckles Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus fulvus)

An endemic shrub frog restricted to the Knuckles range from 450 to 1220 m elevations, inhabiting closed canopy habitats of natural forests, secondary forests, Cardamom cultivation and home gardens. It can be observed during the night on branches, tree trunks and moss-covered rocks. 

Friday, June 14, 2019

කුඩාකන් පඳුරු මැඬියා/Small eared Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus microtympanum)

An endemic shrub frog inhabiting both primary and secondary montane forests as well as the home gardens and tea plantations from 1500  to 2140 m elevations in the central hills. It is the dominant frog in and around the Horton Plains National Park. Also occurs in Pattipola, Ambewela, Agara pathana and Nuwaraeliya. It calls throughout the day and night though usually hides during the day time under logs, tree holes, root crevices, rocks, under leaf litter and such other micro habitats. Eggs are laid in humus or at the base of grass tussocks. Juveniles are usually found among grassy vegetation and such other disturbed habitats. 

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Sri Lanka Wood Frog/ලංකා දිය මැඩියා[Lanka diya madiya] (Hydrophylax gracilis [Hylarana gracilis])

An endemic frog rather common in all three zones up to about 500 elevations. It lives close to water bodies and found on rocks and low vegetation in forests, marshy lands, paddy fields, tanks, ponds and even in home gardens.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Ornate narrow mouthed frog/විසිතුරු මුව පටු මැඩියා (Microhyla ornata)

Rather common small frog inhabiting mainly anthropogenic habitats such as agricultural fields, plantations, home gardens, etc. from lowlands to about 465 m a.s.l. Commoner in the dry lowlands though also recorded from few locations of Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. It hides under leaf litter, decaying logs, rocks, etc. during the day and forage during the night around open areas near small water bodies.

Friday, May 8, 2015

හිරිගඩු පඳුරු මැඩියා[Hirigadu paduru madiya]/Hollow-snouted Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus cavirostris)

An endemic shrub frog occurs in the south western wet zone including Knuckles range from 30 to 1000 m elevations. It inhabits closed canopy rain forests and occasionally in some anthropogenic habitats. Found on moss-covered rocks, tree trunks and branches as well as inside crevices close to streams.

Monday, March 2, 2015

ලංකා ගල්පර දිය මැඩියා [Lanka Galpara Madiya]/Sri Lankan Rock Frog (Nannophrys ceylonensis )

Sri Lankan Rock Frog occurs from lowlands to mid hills in the wet zone between 60-1070m elevations. It inhabits wet rock surfaces with narrow cracks and under boulders along shaded streams and cascades. Found on rocks during the night and usually hide under boulders and crevices during the day

Monday, December 29, 2014

Common Bullfrog (Kaloula taprobanica)

A common frog found in anthropological habitats, paddy fields, plantations and forest borders in both wet and dry lowlands up to about 500m a.s.l. Nocturnal in habits and stay hide under decaying logs, rock crevices, under leaf litter and inside humus or soil during the day time. Its calls resembles the bellowing of a bull. 

Friday, July 25, 2014

Ferguson's Shrub Frog/ෆර්ගසන්ගේ පඳුරු මැඩියා (Pseudophilautus fergusonianus)

An endemic and vulnerable shrub frog usually found on moss-covered rocks, tree trunks, walls, etc. It encounters often close to streams in closed canopy rainforests, plantation and  anthropogenic habitats from 300 to 700 m elevations. Distribution records available from widely distributed locations from Monaragala, Knuckles range, Sinharaja, Kandy, Gampola, etc.. Above specimen was photographed at Doowili Ella of Kaltota in Rathnapura district (6°39'36.42"N,  80°51'57.36"E and Altitude 288m a.s.l.)

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Common shrub frog (Pseudophilautus popularis)

Common shrub frog is widely distributed species occurs in forest edges, grasslands and also in anthropogenic habitats such as home gardens and roadsides in wet lowlands. Males active at dusk and sometimes start calling even during day time in rainy days perched on low vegetation 0.3-1 m above the ground.