Emerging Life

Photo Feature

Mute But Celestial
Unlike most frogs, the black microhylid frog Melanobatrachus indicus does not appear to favour communication by sound – the tympanum (or eardrum) and middle ear are absent in this species, and males do not possess a vocal sac. It is also known by the evocative name galaxy frog, on account of its skin, which appears like a field of stars. This rare species was rediscovered in 1997. It lives amongst leaf-litter, rocks and other ground cover in moist evergreen tropical forests. It is the only remaining genus in the monotypic subfamily Melanobatrachinae. Photo: Renjith Hadlee

emerging life