Dusky Gopher Frog
CR

Dusky Gopher Frog

Lithobates sevosus

Stable

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The Mississippi gopher frog, also known commonly as the dark gopher frog, the dusky gopher frog, and the St. Tammany gopher frog, is a critically endangered species of frog in the family Ranidae. The species is endemic to the southern United States.

Its natural habitats are temperate coastal forests and intermittent freshwater marshes. This secretive frog is on average 3 in (8 cm) long, with a dark brown or black dorsal surface covered in warts. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

The dusky gopher frog faces severe population decline due to habitat destruction and fragmentation of its specialized longleaf pine ecosystem. Fire suppression has allowed hardwood encroachment, eliminating the open understory conditions essential for breeding and foraging. Disease outbreaks, particularly chytrid fungus, have devastated remaining populations, while small population size increases vulnerability to genetic bottlenecks and local extinctions.

Threat summary

Habitat

The dusky gopher frog inhabits longleaf pine forests with open understories maintained by periodic fires, requiring both terrestrial upland areas and temporary ponds for breeding. Adults shelter in gopher tortoise burrows and other underground refugia during dry periods, while larvae develop in ephemeral wetlands within or adjacent to pine forests.

Forest· majorWetlands (inland) - Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens· majorCaves and subterranean habitats· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationLegislation

Other threatened species in RANIDAE

Taipa FrogVU

Taipa Frog

Rana longicrus

Declining
VU

Guizhou Odorous Frog

Odorrana kweichowensis

Declining
EN

Pelophylax cerigensis

Unknown
VU

Amolops splendissimus

Declining

Threatened in United States

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
VU

Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

Unknown
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Dusky Gopher Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Dusky Gopher 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. The dusky gopher frog faces severe population decline due to habitat destruction and fragmentation of its specialized longleaf pine ecosystem. Fire suppression has allowed hardwood encroachment, eliminating the open understory conditions essential for breeding and foraging. Disease outbreaks, particularly chytrid fungus, have devastated remaining populations, while small population size increases vulnerability to genetic bottlenecks and local extinctions.
Where does Dusky Gopher Frog live?
Dusky Gopher Frog occurs in United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Dusky Gopher Frog?
The main threats to Dusky Gopher Frog are 1.1, 11.1, 12.1, and 2.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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