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**Starry Shrub Frog
Scientific name: Pseudophilautus stellatus
Article (short):
Named for the star-like speckles on its back, the rediscovered Starry Shrub Frog is a tiny, jewel-like survivor of Sri Lanka’s cloud forests. Its reappearance after being thought lost is a hopeful conservation story - but its habitat remains fragile and highly localised.
Quick facts
Status (approx.): Critically Endangered / tiny range.
Range: Montane cloud forests and high-elevation patches in Sri Lanka.
Habitat: Mossy understory, leaf-litter and fern thickets near streams.
Diet: Tiny invertebrates - springtails, ants, small arthropods.
Lifespan: A few years typical for small frogs.
Reproduction: Likely direct development (eggs → froglets), laid in hidden leaf niches.
Ecological role: Microfaunal predator and prey; indicator of intact montane microclimates.
Main threats: Habitat alteration, chytrid and other disease risks, climate-driven cloud-base shifts.
2025 October 27