Protecting one of the world’s rarest grassland frogs
Much of the frogs’ grassland habitat has been degraded by timber plantations leaving the frogs with fewer places to shelter, feed and breed.
South Africa’s rare Bilbo’s rain frog now Critically Endangered
Bilbo’s rain frogs live in a tiny corner of KwaZulu-Natal, in grasslands surrounded by commercial forestry. They’re one of the most range-restricted amphibians in the world, found only in a patchwork of small, isolated sites. After a recent taxonomic reassessment, the species was listed as Critically Endangered, and scientists now believe it could vanish within a few decades without targeted conservation.
Much of the frogs’ grassland habitat has been lost or degraded. Local firms continue to expand timber plantations and the remaining fragments are often cut, burned or sprayed at the wrong time of year. These changes alter the structure of the vegetation, leaving the frogs with fewer places to shelter, feed and breed. The landscape is also heavily fragmented, which makes it difficult for the frogs to move safely between patches of suitable habitat.
PTES partners lay the foundation for long-term recovery
Our new partners, Professor Louis du Preez and his PhD student Tiaan Botha from North-West University, are working to understand exactly what this species needs to survive. They’re mapping the distribution of Bilbo’s rain frogs, studying how populations are connected and identifying the critical environmental conditions that support them. They’re also working closely with landowners, including forestry companies, to create agreements that improve fire management and grassland care.
This project is laying the foundation for the long-term recovery of these tiny amphibians. By pinpointing the most important areas for protection and working with the people who manage the surrounding land, the team hopes to safeguard the remaining habitat and reconnect small frog populations that have become isolated.
Protecting Bilbo’s rain frogs will also help conserve South Africa’s threatened grasslands, which support a wide variety of plants, insects and birds that are declining for many of the same reasons.
We want to give Bilbo’s rain frogs a brighter future; with your help we can make a difference.
Image credits Tiaan Botha