Plateau Smooth Horned Frog
CR

Plateau Smooth Horned Frog

Proceratophrys palustris

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Proceratophrys palustris is a species of frog in the family Odontophrynidae. It is endemic to Brazil.

Proceratophrys palustris faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development within its extremely limited range in southeastern Brazil. The species' dependence on specific wetland microhabitats makes it particularly vulnerable to hydrological changes from dam construction and water diversion projects. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could dry critical breeding pools.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits temporary pools and marshy areas within Atlantic Forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. It requires specific wetland microhabitats with shallow, slow-moving water for breeding and adjacent forest cover for terrestrial phases of its life cycle.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Habitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in ODONTOPHRYNIDAE

VU

Achala Escuerzo-Frog

Odontophrynus achalensis

Declining
EN

Proceratophrys sanctaritae

Unknown
EN

Proceratophrys redacta

Declining
VU

Proceratophrys carranca

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Plateau Smooth Horned Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Plateau Smooth Horned 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. Proceratophrys palustris faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development within its extremely limited range in southeastern Brazil. The species' dependence on specific wetland microhabitats makes it particularly vulnerable to hydrological changes from dam construction and water diversion projects. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could dry critical breeding pools.
Where does Plateau Smooth Horned Frog live?
Plateau Smooth Horned Frog 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 Plateau Smooth Horned Frog?
The main threats to Plateau Smooth Horned Frog are 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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