Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani
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| Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Nyctibatrachidae |
| Genus: | Nyctibatrachus |
| Species: | N. pulivijayani |
| Binomial name | |
| Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani | |
Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani, or Vijayan's night frog, is a species of night frogs, family Nyctibatrachidae. The frog is endemic to the Western Ghats, India, and is only known from its type locality, Pandipath, in the Agasthyamalai Hills, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala.[2] Smaller than a human fingernail, it is among the smallest frog species in the world.[3] Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani is part of a genus that evolved in India around 70–80 million years ago.[4] The species of frog was discovered by scientists from the University of Delhi.[5]
The specific name pulivijayani honours Mr. Vijayan Kani, who supported Biju and his students during their field campaigns. He got the name Pulivijayan after braving a leopard attack (puli is Malayalam for "leopard"). The word puli can also allude to leopard-like spots on the dorsal surface of this species.[1]