(FIGS 2, 23B, 24A–D, 25A, B; TABLE 2)

Type material: Holotype, BNHS 4427, an adult male, SVL 16.0 mm, collected by SDB on 18 July 2002 from Ponmudi, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India; paratypes, BNHS 4428–4432, five adult males, collected along with the holotype, and FMNH 218101, an adult female collected by Robert F. Inger and Bradley Shaffer in May 1982 from the same locality. forwards along the body axis (vs. reaches below the eye); differs from P. tuberohumerus by its smaller snout–vent length, SVL 16.7 ± 0.4 mm N = 7, male (vs. SVL 18.4 ± 0.5 mm N = 6, male), snout sharply pointed (vs. subelliptical), canthus rostralis sharp (vs. rounded), posterior surface of thighs light grey (vs. dark brown with large yellow or reddish yellow blotches), inner side of shanks with light brown blotches (vs. without markings), tibiotarsal articulation reaches up to nostril when stretched forwards along the body axis (vs. reaches up to the eye).

Other material studied: FMNH 218107, adult male, from Ponmudi (Table 2).

Diagnosis: Philautus chotta sp. nov. can be distinguished from known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) small adult size (SVL 16.7 ± 0.4 mm, N = 7, male; SVL 20.5 mm, N = 1, female); (2) snout in dorsal view sharply pointed; (3) prominent tubercles on upper eyelid; (4) dark spot on either side towards the vent; (5) vermiculated posterior surface of the shanks; (6) very long hindlimbs, strongly overlapping when folded at right angles.

Although this species is morphologically unique, we compare it here with Philautus annandalii (Boulenger, 1906) and P. tuberohumerus, both of which are of comparable size. However, P. chotta sp. nov. differs from P. annandalii by its sharply pointed snout (vs. oval), canthus rostralis sharp (vs. rounded), upper eyelids with a few prominent tubercles (vs. shagreened), a dark spot on either side towards the vent (vs. absent), inner side of shanks with lightbrown blotches (vs. without markings), tibiotarsal articulation reaches up to nostril when stretched Description of the holotype (all measurements in mm): Small frog (SVL 16.0) with a slender body (Figs 24A, 25A, B); head length (HL 5.8) slightly shorter than width (HW 6.0; MN 5.0; MFE 4.0; MBE 1.9); outline of snout in dorsal view sharply pointed (Fig. 24A), snout length (SL 2.6) almost equal to the horizontal diameter of the eye (EL 2.7); canthus rostralis sharp, loreal region acutely concave; distance between posterior margins of eyes (IBE 5.8) 1.7 times the distance between anterior margins of eyes (IFE 3.4); tympanum (TYD 0.8) rather indistinct; supratympanic fold rather indistinct (Fig. 24B); tongue without a lingual papilla.

Forelimb (FLL 4.0) shorter than hand (HAL 4.6; TFL 2.6); fingers without lateral dermal fringe, webbing absent; subarticular tubercles prominent, rounded, single, III2 and IV2 absent (Fig. 24C); prepollex rather indistinct; palmar tubercle small, rounded; supernumerary tubercles weakly developed on fingers (Fig. 24C); nuptial pad present, smooth.

Hindlimbs moderately long, shank (ShL 8.7) longer than thigh (TL 8.3), longer than distance from base of inner metatarsal tubercle to the tip of toe IV (FOL 6.6); distance from heel to tip of toe IV (TFOL 11.1); webbing rather rudimentary (Fig. 24D); reaching up to the third subarticular tubercle on either side of toe IV; dermal fringe along toe V absent; subarticular tubercles rather prominent, rounded, simple, IV2 and V2 weakly developed (Fig. 24D); supernumerary tubercles present throughout.

Skin of snout shagreened, between eyes granular, upper eyelids with a few prominent tubercles (Fig. 25A, B), side of head shagreened to slightly granular, anterior and posterior parts of back, upper and lower parts of flank shagreened; throat shagreened to glandular, chest slightly granular; belly and thigh prominently granular.

Colour of holotype: In life: dorsum yellowish grey (Fig. 25A) with various numbers of light-brown, tan, and brown markings, a pair of dark lines between eyes, filled with light brown, an hourglass-shaped area that is slightly darker than the dorsum, a dark spot towards the hindlimb, forming a continuation of the largest leg bar when limbs are flexed into normal sitting posture, lateral abdominal area light brown, tinged with bronze, tympanic region light brown; iris light-grey–brown with dark-brown cross band, encircled with light golden ring; forelimbs and hindlimbs light brown, with dark-brown cross bands, finger tips grey, anterior and posterior margins of thigh light brown; ventral side off white, with various numbers of brown, light-grey and pale-yellow spots forming a vermiculated pattern, throat darkbrownish yellow, margins with dark bands interrupted with white bands, foot and hand light grey.

In preservation: dark-grey dorsum with light-brown spots, lateral region light brown, a black spot on either side towards the vent (Fig. 24A); darkbrownish band between eye and groin enclosing an hourglass marking filled with grey, loreal and tympanic regions grey with irregular white patches, dorsal surface of forelimb and hindlimb light grey with dark-brown cross bands; ventral side uniformly greyish with irregular spots, tibia with brownish black markings.

Variation: Measurements of eight specimens are given in Table 2. The dorsal coloration is relatively constant in the type series, but BNHS 4432 has a uniform dark-grey dorsum with a triangular lightgrey snout from the tip to just above the level of the eyes, a dark-grey stripe between the eyes, and a pair of creamy bands on dorsum; BNHS 4428 has a darkgrey dorsum with a dark band in between the eyes, and a faintly greyish brown longitudinal marking on the dorsum. In captivity (BNHS 4431, Fig. 25B), the colour changes from light greyish brown to dark brown.

Etymology: The species epithet chotta (Hindi word) means small, referring to the diminutive adult size.

Distribution and natural history: Philautus chotta sp. nov. is known only from the type locality, Ponmudi (Fig. 23B, Table 1). The holotype and five male paratypes were collected from leaves of a tea plant (at about 1-m height) from an abandoned tea plantation near disturbed evergreen forest patches. All were located by their calls during a rainy night. The sixth female paratype, FMNH 218101, was collected from the ground along with other 12 other individuals by Inger and Shaffer ‘either on the surface of dead leaves (9 specimens) or beneath leaves or logs (4 specimens)’ (Inger et al., 1984). During the present study, this species was surveyed at night-time, and all of the individuals were located at an average height of about 2 m, although a few individuals were sighted on the forest floor in the daytime during the non-breeding season.

Remarks: The new species was ascribed to P. charius (FMNH 218101, FMNH 218107) by Inger et al. (1984).