# List of amphibians of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. It is situated in the middle of Indian Ocean. Because of being an island, Sri Lanka has rich endemic terrestrial and freshwater fauna, including vertebrates and several invertebrates.

## Amphibian

* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Amphibia
Amphibians are ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. They have soft glandular skin and live in all habitats of the world except for the ice caps. They complete an amphibious lifestyle where larval stages live in water and adults live on or closer to land. With their complex reproductive needs and permeable skins, amphibians are often ecological indicators.
Sri Lanka is host to over 120 species of amphibians, of which over 90 species are endemic to the country. The 85% of endemicity ratio makes Sri Lanka the country which has the highest amphibian endemism in Asia. During the past decade many more new amphibians have been found in Sri Lanka.
The first amphibian review in Sri Lanka in 1957 identified 35 species. In 1996 the number of amphibian species rose to 53 based on research of museum collections and also a field survey. More than 250 species were proposed based on this field survey by Rohan Pethiyagoda and Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi in 1998. However Madhava Meegaskumbura et al. revised the number to around 140 species, and the discovery of over "new" 100 species has been criticised. As at 2019, 122 descriptions of amphibian species have been published, with 113 endemics. Three caecilian species has been identified with one undescribed species.
Sri Lanka harbours three endemic genera, Adenomus, Nannophrys, and Lankanectes. Most of the new species are of the genus Philautus which was assigned to genus Pseudophilautus recently. Hence, there are no amphibians of the genus Philautus (sensu stricto) in Sri Lanka. Pseudophilautus pardus and P. maia, the species known only from collections made prior to 1876 are described as new species in 2007, but both are extinct. In April 2015, Mendis Wickrremasinghe et al. described another endemic Pseudophilautus species P. dilmah. In January 2019, the new species, P. conniffae was discovered in southern Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has the highest percentage of extinct and threatened amphibian species in Asia. In the 20th century the country has lost 20% of its amphibians and more than half of the remaining species are on the verge of extinction. Of the world's 34 amphibian fauna that have gone extinct in the last 500 years, 19 are from Sri Lanka. Habitat loss is attributed as the main cause of threats while fragmentation, use of pesticides, and air pollution are among others.

## Amphibian diversity of Sri Lanka

| Low vulnerability | Threatened | Extinct | Insufficient data |
| Least concern Near threatened | Vulnerable Endangered Critically endangered | Extinct in the wild Extinct | Data deficient Not evaluated |

### Order Anura: frogs

| Common name | Species (authority) | Endemicity |
| Family Bufonidae: true toads ||||
| Kandyan dwarf toad | Adenomus kandianus (Günther, 1872) | Endemic |
| Kelaart's dwarf toad | Adenomus kelaartii (Günther, 1858) | Endemic |
| Kotagama's dwarf toad | Duttaphrynus kotagamai Fernando & Dayawansa, 1994 | Endemic |
| Common Indian toad | Duttaphrynus melanostictus Schneider, 1799 | |
| Noellert's toad | Duttaphrynus noellerti Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 1998 | Endemic |
| Ferguson's toad | Duttaphrynus scaber Schneider, 1799 | |
| Marbled toad | Duttaphrynus stomaticus Lütken, 1862 | |
| Family Dicroglossidae: fork-tongued frogs ||||
| Indian skipper frog | Euphlyctis mudigere (Joshy, Alam, Kurabayashi, Sumida, and Kuramoto, 2009) | |
| Green pond frog | Euphlyctis hexadactylus (Lesson, 1834) | |
| Jerdon's bullfrog | Hoplobatrachus crassus (Jerdon, 1853) | |
| Sri Lanka rock frog | Nannophrys ceylonensis (Günther, 1868) | Endemic |
| Gunther's streamlined frog | Nannophrys guentheri Boulenger, 1882 | Endemic |
| Kirtisinghe's rock frog | Nannophrys marmorata Kirtisinghe, 1946 | Endemic |
| Nayak rock frog | Nannophrys naeyakai Fernando, Wickramasingha & Rodrigo, 2007 | Endemic |
| Indian burrowing frog | Sphaerotheca breviceps (Schneider, 1799) | |
| Sri Lanka burrowing frog | Sphaerotheca rolandae (Dubois, 1983) | Endemic |
| Common Indian cricket frog | Minervarya agricola (Jerdon, 1853) | |
| Montane frog | Minervarya greenii (Boulenger, 1904) | Endemic |
| Kirtisinghe's frog | Minervarya kirtisinghei Manamendra-Arachchi & Gabadage, 1994 | Endemic |
| Family Microhylidae: narrow-mouthed frogs ||||
| Karunaratne's narrow-mouthed frog | Microhyla karunaratnei Fernando & Siriwardhane, 1996 | Endemic |
| Mihintale red narrow-mouthed frog | Microhyla mihintalei Wijayathilaka, Garg, Senevirathne, Karunarathna, Biju & Meegaskumbura, 2016 | Endemic |
| Ornate narrow-mouthed frog | Microhyla ornata (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) | |
| Sri Lanka rice frog | Microhyla zeylanica Parker & Hill, 1949 | Endemic |
| Sri Lankan painted frog | Uperodon taprobanicus (Parker, 1934) | |
| Nagao's pug-snouted frog | Uperodon nagaoi (Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2001) | Endemic |
| Sri Lanka dot frog | Uperodon obscurus (Günther, 1864) | Endemic |
| Half-webbed pug-snouted frog | Uperodon palmatus (Parker, 1934) | Endemic |
| Rohan's globular frog | Uperodon rohani (Garg S, Senevirathne G, Wijayathilaka N, Phuge S, Deuti K, Manamendra-Arachchi K, Meegaskumbura M, Biju SD. 2018) | Endemic |
| Marbled balloon frog | Uperodon systoma (Schneider, 1799) | |
| Family Ranidae: true frogs ||||
| Sri Lankan golden-backed frog | Indosylvirana serendipi Biju et al., 2014 | Endemic |
| Gravenhorst's frog | Hydrophylax gracilis Gravenhorst, 1829 | Endemic |
| Bronzed frog | Indosylvirana temporalis (Günther, 1864) | Endemic |
| Family Nyctibatrachidae: robust frogs ||||
| Corrugated water frog | Lankanectes corrugatus (Peters, 1863) | Endemic |
| | Lankanectes pera Senevirathne et al., 2018 | Endemic |
| Family Rhacophoridae: shrub frogs ||||
| | Pseudophilautus abundus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus adspersus (Günther, 1872) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus alto Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus asankai Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus auratus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus bambaradeniyai Wickramasinghe et al., 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus caeruleus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus cavirostris (Günther, 1869) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus conniffae Batuwita, De Silva & Udugampala, 2019 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus cuspis Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus dayawansai Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus decoris Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus dilmah (Wickramasinghe, Bandara, Vidanapathirana, Tennakoon, Samarakoon & Wickramasinghe, 2015) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus dimbullae (Shreve, 1940) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus eximius (Shreve, 1940) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus extirpo Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus femoralis (Günther, 1864) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus fergusonianus (Ahl, 1927) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus folicola Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus frankenbergi Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus fulvus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus hallidayi Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus halyi (Boulenger, 1904) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus hankeni Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Archchi, 2011 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus hoipolloi Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus hypomelas (Günther, 1876) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus jagathgunawardanai Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus karunarathnai Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus leucorhinus (Lichtenstein, Weinland & Von Martens, 1856) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus limbus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus lunatus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus macropus (Günther, 1869) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus maia (Meegaskumbara et al., 2007) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus malcolmsmithi (Ahl, 1927) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus microtympanum (Günther, 1859) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus mittermeieri Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus mooreorum Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus nanus (Günther, 1869) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus nasutus (Günther, 1869) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus nemus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus newtonjayawardanei Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus ocularis Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus oxyrhynchus (Günther, 1872) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus papillosus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus pardus (Meegaskumbura, Manamendra-Arachchi, Schneider and Pethiyagoda, 2007) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus pleurotaenia (Boulenger, 1904) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus poppiae Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus popularis Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus procax Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus puranappu Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus regius Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus reticulatus (Günther, 1864) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus rugatus (Ahl, 1927) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus rus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus samarakoon Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus sarasinorum (Müller, 1887) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus schmarda (Kelaart, 1854) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus schneideri Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2011 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus semiruber (Annandale, 1913) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus silus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus silvaticus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus simba Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus singu Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, & Pethiyagoda 2009 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus sirilwijesundarai Wickramasinghe et al. 2013 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus sordidus Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus stellatus (Kelaart, 1853) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus steineri Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus stictomerus (Günther, 1876) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus stuarti Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus tanu Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, & Pethiyagoda 2009 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus temporalis (Günther, 1864) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus variabilis (Günther, 1859) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus viridis Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus zal Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus zimmeri (Ahl, 1927) | Endemic |
| | Pseudophilautus zorro Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2005 | Endemic |
| Common hour-glass tree frog | Polypedates cruciger Blyth, 1852 | Endemic |
| Indian tree frog | Polypedates maculatus (Gray, 1834) | |
| Ranwella's spined tree frog | Polypedates ranwellai Wickramasinghe, Munindrasasa & Fernando, 2012 | Endemic |
| Montane hour-glass tree frog | Taruga eques Günther, 1858 | Endemic |
| Morningside hour-glass tree frog | Taruga fastigo Manamendra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda, 2001 | Endemic |
| Long-snouted tree frog | Taruga longinasus (Ahl, 1931) | Endemic |

### Order Gymnophiona: caecilians

| Common name | Species (authority) | Endemicity |
| Family Ichthyophiidae: Asiatic tailed caecilians ||||
| Ceylon caecilian | Ichthyophis glutinosus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Endemic |
| Pattipola caecilian | Ichthyophis orthoplicatus Taylor, 1965 | Endemic |
| Lesser yellow-banded caecilian | Ichthyophis pseudangularis Taylor, 1965 | Endemic |