By Helen Briggs BBC News
21 February 2017
Four new frogs so tiny that they can sit on a thumbnail have been discovered in the forests of India.
Among the smallest frogs in the world, they live on the forest floor and make insect-like calls at night.
Three larger species were also found, bringing to seven the number of night frogs discovered in the Western Ghats.
The mountain range, which runs parallel to the western coast of India, is home to hundreds of threatened plants and animals.
Scientists discovered the new species after several years of exploration in the forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Secretive habits
"These tiny frogs can sit comfortably on a coin or a thumbnail," said Sonali Garg of the University of Delhi, who was among the team that found the new creatures.
"We were surprised to find that the miniature forms are in fact locally abundant and fairly common.
"They were probably overlooked by researchers because of their extremely small size, secretive habitats and insect-like calls."
"These tiny frogs can sit comfortably on a coin or a thumbnail," said Sonali Garg of the University of Delhi, who was among the team that found the new creatures.
"We were surprised to find that the miniature forms are in fact locally abundant and fairly common.
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| Image copyright SD Biju |
"They were probably overlooked by researchers because of their extremely small size, secretive habitats and insect-like calls."
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