CR

Cotopaxi Rocket Frog

Hyloxalus fallax

Declining

Overview

Hyloxalus fallax is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and only known from the region of its type locality in the Cotopaxi Province, on the western slopes of the Andes. Common name Cotopaxi rocket frog has been coined for this species.

Hyloxalus fallax faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited Andean range. The species is particularly vulnerable to chytrid fungal infections, which have devastated amphibian populations throughout the Neotropics. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist microhabitats essential for this poison dart frog's survival and reproduction.

Threat summary

Habitat

This poison dart frog inhabits cloud forests and montane rainforests in the Andes, typically found in leaf litter and low vegetation near streams and seepages. It requires cool, humid microclimates with consistent moisture levels between 1,500-2,500 meters elevation.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in DENDROBATIDAE

Blessed Poison FrogVU

Blessed Poison Frog

Ranitomeya benedicta

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EN

Colostethus ucumari

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Ameerega pepperi

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Darwin Wallace Poison-Frog

Epipedobates darwinwallacei

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Cotopaxi Rocket Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Cotopaxi Rocket 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. Hyloxalus fallax faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited Andean range. The species is particularly vulnerable to chytrid fungal infections, which have devastated amphibian populations throughout the Neotropics. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist microhabitats essential for this poison dart frog's survival and reproduction.
Where does Cotopaxi Rocket Frog live?
Cotopaxi Rocket Frog occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cotopaxi Rocket Frog?
The main threats to Cotopaxi Rocket Frog are 2.1, 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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