The name also alludes to the Ancient Roman goddess Minerva - the frogs' behaviour of suddenly jumping up seemingly from mud on the ground is reminiscent of the goddess, who burst suddenly out of her father Jupiter's head, fully clad in armour.

The upper parts of the body are greyish-brown and have the texture of shagreen, while the underparts are smooth and generally paler.

[3] Male M. pentali produce a pulsating call, which they repeat at regular intervals.

During this season, males congregate in large numbers in grasses and around water bodies.

[3] M. pentali is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, where it is widespread and found from sea level up to an elevation of 220 m. Its range extends from Kerala's Kozhikode district in the north to Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district in the south.