Horned Marsupial Frog
CR

Horned Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca cornuta

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The horned marsupial frog, originally named Nototrema cornutum (Boulenger) after the first describer George Albert Boulenger in 1898), is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is an arboreal species found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and montane cloud forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Gastrotheca cornuta faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in Ecuador's cloud forest regions. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes, while climate change threatens to shift suitable temperature and humidity conditions beyond the frog's narrow altitudinal tolerance. Chytrid fungal disease has also been documented affecting related marsupial frog species in the region, posing an additional pathogen-based threat.

Threat summary

Habitat

This marsupial frog inhabits montane cloud forests and elfin forests at elevations between 2,800-3,400 meters in the Ecuadorian Andes. It requires high humidity environments with dense epiphytic vegetation where it can find suitable breeding sites in bromeliads and tree holes.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Resource & habitat protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in HEMIPHRACTIDAE

EN

Helena's Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca helenae

Stable
VU

Ecuador Horned Treefrog

Hemiphractus bubalus

Declining
EN

Cerro Munchique Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca trachyceps

Declining
VU

Papallacta Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca orophylax

Declining

Threatened in Colombia

VU

Cavendishia macrocephala

Unknown
EN

Cavendishia sessiliflora

Unknown
VU

Macleania crassa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Horned Marsupial Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Horned Marsupial 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. Gastrotheca cornuta faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in Ecuador's cloud forest regions. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes, while climate change threatens to shift suitable temperature and humidity conditions beyond the frog's narrow altitudinal tolerance. Chytrid fungal disease has also been documented affecting related marsupial frog species in the region, posing an additional pathogen-based threat.
Where does Horned Marsupial Frog live?
Horned Marsupial Frog occurs in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Horned Marsupial Frog?
The main threats to Horned Marsupial Frog are 1.1, 11.1, 2.1, and 3.2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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