Philautus maia
Encyclopedia
Philautus maia is an extinct species of Sri Lanka
n shrub frogs, described in 2007, from a single female museum specimen collected around 1860. It was named Top 4 New Species of 2007 by the Arizona State University
: International Institute for Species Exploration.
This species differs from all other Sri Lankan frogs in having a discernible tympanum, having an angle of the snout of about 100 degrees, having a distinct supratympanic fold, having sharp canthal ridges, lacking a ligual papilla, having supernumerary tubercles on fingers but not on toes, lacking a tarsal tubercle, having extensive toe webbing, and having a dark brown reticulation on the posterior surface of the thigh.
The species was discovered from a preserved specimen from the Natural History Museum
, London
. The species was a single female museum specimen collected around 1860.
Had this specimen not been collected in the 19th century, it would possibly have never been known.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n shrub frogs, described in 2007, from a single female museum specimen collected around 1860. It was named Top 4 New Species of 2007 by the Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
: International Institute for Species Exploration.
This species differs from all other Sri Lankan frogs in having a discernible tympanum, having an angle of the snout of about 100 degrees, having a distinct supratympanic fold, having sharp canthal ridges, lacking a ligual papilla, having supernumerary tubercles on fingers but not on toes, lacking a tarsal tubercle, having extensive toe webbing, and having a dark brown reticulation on the posterior surface of the thigh.
The species was discovered from a preserved specimen from the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The species was a single female museum specimen collected around 1860.
Had this specimen not been collected in the 19th century, it would possibly have never been known.