CR

Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog

Alsodes pehuenche

Declining

Overview

Alsodes pehuenche is a species of frog in the family Alsodidae. It is endemic to Pehuenche Valley in the Andes of southern Mendoza Province, Argentina, and the adjacent Chile. At the time of the assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2012, the species was known from six streams in an area encompassing some 9 km2. A study published in 2013 extended the known range a few kilometers west and included another Chilean stream.

Alsodes pehuenche faces severe threats from habitat degradation in its restricted Andean range. The species is particularly vulnerable to water pollution from agricultural runoff and livestock grazing, which directly impacts the pristine stream environments essential for its reproduction. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns and temperature increases that could dry up critical breeding habitats in high-altitude environments.

Threat summary

Habitat

This critically endangered frog inhabits high-altitude Andean streams and wetlands in the Araucanía region of Chile, typically found in pristine mountain watersheds with cold, clear water. The species requires specific microhabitat conditions including rocky substrates and permanent water flow for successful reproduction and larval development.

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryAwareness & communicationsPolicies and regulations

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Pehuenche Spiny-chest 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. Alsodes pehuenche faces severe threats from habitat degradation in its restricted Andean range. The species is particularly vulnerable to water pollution from agricultural runoff and livestock grazing, which directly impacts the pristine stream environments essential for its reproduction. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns and temperature increases that could dry up critical breeding habitats in high-altitude environments.
Where does Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog live?
Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog occurs in Argentina, and Chile. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog?
The main threats to Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog are 11.1, 2.3, 4.1, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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