The Scanty Frog or the Dainty Nursery Frog (Cophixalus exiguus) is a Microhylid

Microhylidae

Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...

 frog found in a restircted area of rainforest in north-east Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

. It is the smallest frog species in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

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Physical description

The Scanty Frog is a very small frog, reaching a size of 16-19 millimetres (0.6-0.7 in). The dorsal surface is grey-brown, with random pale sections. In some specimens, a broad vertebral line is present, which broadens towards the eyes. It has a deep red patch on the groin. A faint "H" shape is present on the shoulders, and a V shape between the eyes. Toe pads are present, and webbing between toes and fingers are absent.

Ecology and behaviour

The Scanty Frog is a semi-arboreal species, usually found on the ground, beneath logs and leaf litter. It will call during mating season, from within the trees, as high as 1.5 metres. The mating call is a series of fast clicks. Its habitat is vine rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

s, which can include Acacia

Acacia

Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...

. The Scanty Frog is found in northern Queensland, south of Cooktown. It is geographically isolated from most species within its genus.