Wildlifeof India
Polonnaruwa Shrub Frog
Shrub Frogs & Tree Frogs
Photo: Thilina Hettiarachchi · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Pseudophilautus regius
Basic stats
Habitat
Subtropical or tropical dry and moist shrubland and rural gardens
Range
Sri Lanka; also reported from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India
Size
Males 18-22mm
The Polonnaruwa shrub frog (Pseudophilautus regius) is a frog of the family Rhacophoridae that was described in 2005 from the dry zone of Sri Lanka, where it is endemic according to the general account. A 2024 Zootaxa paper reported new records of it from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India, with genetic data supporting the identification, the first bush frog known on both sides of the Palk Strait (Wikipedia, general species account; Zootaxa 2024 record).
In Sri Lanka its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry and moist shrubland and rural gardens. Males measure 18-22 mm. The back is chocolate brown, darkening towards the rear, the flanks brown to reddish brown bordered with white at the bottom, and the belly white with dark brown pigmentation (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Polonnaruwa Shrub Frog live in?
- Subtropical or tropical dry and moist shrubland and rural gardens
- Where is the Polonnaruwa Shrub Frog found?
- Sri Lanka; also reported from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India
- How big is the Polonnaruwa Shrub Frog?
- Males 18-22mm