CR

Mertens' Tree Toad

Hylodes mertensi

Unknown

Overview

Hylodes mertensi or Merten's tree toad is a species of frog in the family Hylodidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Hylodes mertensi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban expansion and agricultural development in the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while water pollution from agricultural runoff and urban waste degrades the pristine stream conditions essential for its survival. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns and stream flow regimes that this specialized torrent frog depends upon.

Threat summary

Habitat

Hylodes mertensi inhabits rocky streams and fast-flowing torrents within the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. This specialized torrent frog requires pristine water conditions and is typically found on wet rocks near waterfalls and rapids in montane forest environments.

Forest· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· major

Conservation measures underway

Species managementSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in HYLODIDAE

EN

Crossodactylus timbuhy

Unknown
VU

Crossodactylus werneri

Declining
CR

Crossodactylus boulengeri

Unknown
EN

Hylodes perere

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mertens' Tree Toad classified as Critically Endangered?
Mertens' Tree Toad 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. Hylodes mertensi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban expansion and agricultural development in the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while water pollution from agricultural runoff and urban waste degrades the pristine stream conditions essential for its survival. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns and stream flow regimes that this specialized torrent frog depends upon.
Where does Mertens' Tree Toad live?
Mertens' Tree Toad 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 Mertens' Tree Toad?
The main threats to Mertens' Tree Toad are 4.1, 5.3, 8.1, and 8.2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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