A. Radcliffe’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus radcliffei), B. Athirappilly night frog (Nyctibatrachus athirappillyensis), C. Kadalar night frog (Nyctibatrachus webilla), D. Sabarimala night frog (Nyctibatrachus sabarimalaiI), E. Vijayan’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani), F. Manalar night frog (Nyctibatrachus manalari), G. Robin Moore’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus robinmoorei). Behold: 4 New Species Of Tiny Frogs Smaller Than A Fingernail

Four newly discovered frog species are so tiny that they can sit comfortably on a fingernail, making them some of the smallest-known frogs in the world. Despite being classified as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and having one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world, large plantations and human settlements are being built in the Western Ghats. For instance, in the case of the new species found by Garg, the miniature frogs are more terrestrial and occur in leaf litter unlike the larger ones that are found largely near streams. "In fact, the miniature species are locally abundant and fairly common but they have probably been overlooked because of their extremely small size, secretive habitats and insect-like calls", says Sonali Garg who undertook this study as part of her PhD research at University of Delhi. Their discovery raises the total number of known night frog species to 35, with seven species recognized as miniaturized — smaller than 0.7 inches. What the future holds for night frogs -- and for many of their fellow amphibians -- is uncertain, as more than 32 percent of the Western Ghats frogs are threatened with extinction, according to the study co-author, SD Biju, a biologist and head of the Systematics Lab with the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Delhi, India. Out of the seven new species, five are facing considerable anthropogenic threats and require immediate conservation prioritization", says Prof SD Biju, who led the new study and has also formally described over 80 new species of amphibians from India.
Several new species of tiny frogs are discovered in India.