Description
Known only from the male holotype, 27.7 mm (Boulenger 1904). Distinguishing characteristics from Manamendra-Arachchi and Pethayigoda 2005, in their key to Sri Lankan species of Pseudophilautus: Tarsal fold absent. Tympanum visible. Skin on head not co-ossified. Toes webbed, but medially rather than fully. Supernumerary tubercles on palm present. Tarsal tubercle absent. Canthal edges rounded. Hands not webbed, no black band on snout. Supernumerary tubercles on foot present. Crossbars on limbs absent, supratympanic fold prominent. Other morphological features include the following: Head dorsally convex. Loreal and internarial regions concave. Lingual papilla and vomerine teeth absent. Dermal fringe on fingers. Dorsal surfaces tuberculate, shagreened with glandular warts. Throat, chest, and belly are granular. A median dermal ridge runs from the tip of the snout to the vent. Males have nuptial pads on the dorsal and inner side of the prepollex and Finger I, and internal vocal slits (Manamendra-Arachchi and Pethayigoda 2005).

The color in alcohol is uniform brown except for the pale yellowish brown venter (Manamendra-Arachchi and Pethayigoda 2005). Coloration in life is not known.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Sri Lanka

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Endemic to Sri Lanka and was only known from the general type locality "Pattipola, Ceylon" (Boulenger 1904; Stuart et al 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Pseudophilautus halyi has not been recorded since the collection of the holotype in 1899 (Boulenger 1904), despite extensive searches, and is presumed extinct. it is believed to have been a direct developer, like other species in the genus Raorchestes (Stuart et al 2008).

Trends and Threats
It is believed that habitat loss led to the decline and eventual extinction of this species (Stuart et al 2008).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss

References

Boulenger, G. A. (1904). ''Descriptions of three new frogs from southern India and Ceylon.'' Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 15, 430-431.

Manamendra-Arachchi, K., and Pethiyagoda, R. (2005). ''The Sri Lankan shrub-frogs of the genus Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Ranidae: Rhacophorinae), with description of 27 new species.'' Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 12, 163-303.

Stuart, S., Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J., Cox, N., Berridge, R., Ramani, P., Young, B. (eds) (2008). Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Edicions, IUCN, and Conservation International, Barcelona, Spain; Gland, Switzerland; and Arlington, Virginia, USA.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2010 Pseudophilautus halyi <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/6478> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 18, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 18 Nov 2024.

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