Meet India’s starry dwarf frog — a species with no close relatives

The new frog represents a new species, genus and potentially even a new family

starry dwarf frog

HIDDEN FROM VIEW  With a brown back, orange tummy and glittery bluish-white spots that help it blend in with the forest floor, the newly described starry dwarf frog (pictured) stayed hidden from scientists for centuries.

K.P. Dinesh

A tiny new frog species discovered in tropical forests of southwest India has been one of a kind for millions of years.