Cotopaxi Robber Frog
CR

Cotopaxi Robber Frog

Pristimantis phoxocephalus

Declining

Photo: Photo: (c) Martin Mandák, all rights reserved, uploaded by Martin Mandák

Overview

Pristimantis phoxocephalus is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane forests, high-altitude shrubland, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Pristimantis phoxocephalus faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its restricted Andean range. Mining activities and infrastructure development have fragmented its cloud forest habitat, while climate change is causing upslope shifts in suitable temperature and humidity conditions. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from habitat conversion.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits montane cloud forests and humid upper tropical forests in the Andes, typically at elevations between 1,800-2,400 meters. It requires areas with high humidity, dense vegetation cover, and stable microclimatic conditions for breeding and survival.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

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CR

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CR

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Pristimantis barrigai

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Yanayacu Robber Frog

Pristimantis bicantus

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EN

Cundinamarca Robber Frog

Pristimantis affinis

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Threatened in Ecuador

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Puya fastuosa

Unknown
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Diospyros esmereg

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Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Cotopaxi Robber Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Cotopaxi Robber Frog is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Pristimantis phoxocephalus faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its restricted Andean range. Mining activities and infrastructure development have fragmented its cloud forest habitat, while climate change is causing upslope shifts in suitable temperature and humidity conditions. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from habitat conversion.
Where does Cotopaxi Robber Frog live?
Cotopaxi Robber Frog occurs in Ecuador, and Peru. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cotopaxi Robber Frog?
The main threats to Cotopaxi Robber Frog are 2.3, 5.3, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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