CR

Palma Real Robber Frog

Strabomantis cerastes

Declining

Overview

Strabomantis cerastes, common name: Palma Real robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Strabomantis cerastes faces severe population decline primarily due to rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species' restriction to high-elevation cloud forests makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change, as warming temperatures force suitable habitat upslope with nowhere left to retreat. Mining activities and infrastructure development further fragment the remaining forest patches, while the species' specialized breeding requirements in pristine leaf litter make it highly sensitive to habitat degradation.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits pristine cloud forests and montane rainforests at elevations between 1,800-2,400 meters in the Colombian Andes. It requires undisturbed forest floor environments with dense leaf litter and high humidity levels for breeding and foraging.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in STRABOMANTIDAE

CR

Microkayla boettgeri

Declining
CR

Barriga's Rainfrog

Pristimantis barrigai

Declining
VU

Yanayacu Robber Frog

Pristimantis bicantus

Declining
EN

Cundinamarca Robber Frog

Pristimantis affinis

Declining

Threatened in Colombia

EN

Helena's Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca helenae

Stable
VU

Cavendishia macrocephala

Unknown
EN

Cavendishia sessiliflora

Unknown
VU

Macleania crassa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Palma Real Robber Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Palma Real 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. Strabomantis cerastes faces severe population decline primarily due to rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species' restriction to high-elevation cloud forests makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change, as warming temperatures force suitable habitat upslope with nowhere left to retreat. Mining activities and infrastructure development further fragment the remaining forest patches, while the species' specialized breeding requirements in pristine leaf litter make it highly sensitive to habitat degradation.
Where does Palma Real Robber Frog live?
Palma Real Robber Frog occurs in Colombia, and Ecuador. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Palma Real Robber Frog?
The main threats to Palma Real Robber Frog are 2.1, 2.3, 5.3, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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