Pleurodema somuncurense
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Pleurodema somuncurense faces severe threats from habitat degradation due to overgrazing by livestock, which destroys the fragile steppe vegetation surrounding its breeding pools. Agricultural expansion and water extraction for irrigation have reduced available breeding sites, while introduced trout in some water bodies pose predation pressure on tadpoles. Climate change exacerbates these pressures by altering precipitation patterns in the already arid Patagonian environment.
Habitat
This species inhabits temporary pools and shallow wetlands within the Patagonian steppe of Argentina, particularly in areas with sparse vegetation and rocky outcrops. It breeds in ephemeral water bodies that form during seasonal rains in the arid grasslands and shrublands of the Somuncurá Plateau region.