Golden-eyed shrub frog (Pseudophilautus ocularis)

English: Golden-eyed shrub frog
Binomial: Pseudophilautus ocularis
Sinhala: රන්වන් ඇස් ඇති පඳුරු මැඩියා[Ranwan as athi panduru madiya]

Pseudophilautus ocularis is an endemic species of shrub frogs restricted to the cloud forests of Rakwana mountain range of Sri Lanka. Lives only in covered forests and close to forest margins. Above photographed frogs were found in Sooriyakanda area where elevation above the sea level ranges from 1080m to 1160m. Having gold colored eyes is an attractive feature of this species and that caused to have the Latin specie name "ocularis" with the meaning of "of the eyes". In IUCN red list, this species has been rated as 'Critically Endangered' due to its limited distribution that is only in higher altitudes of Rakwana mountains. Habitat loss is considered as the main threat for the existence of this species.

References:

• 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.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(tm) 2015-4 - http://www.iucnredlist.org
• Manamendra-Arachchi, K. & R. Pethiyagoda (2006): Sri Lankan amphibians [in Sinhala]. – WHT Publications, Colombo.