CR

Rough Moss Frog

Arthroleptella rugosa

Declining

Overview

Arthroleptella rugosa is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to South Africa and only known from the Klein Swartberg Mountain, an inselberg near Caledon, Western Cape. The specific name rugosa is Latin for wrinkled or rough and refers to the rough appearance of this species as well as its rough sounding advertisement call. Accordingly, the common name rough moss frog has been suggested for it.

Arthroleptella rugosa faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development, agriculture, and invasive vegetation in its restricted range in the Western Cape of South Africa. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it highly vulnerable to local extinctions from habitat fragmentation and degradation. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns affecting the moist conditions essential for this frog's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits fynbos vegetation and adjacent moist areas in the southwestern Western Cape, South Africa, typically in rocky seepages, seasonal pools, and marshy areas within the unique Mediterranean-climate fynbos biome. It requires permanent or semi-permanent water sources for breeding and is associated with specific vegetation types at relatively low elevations.

Shrubland· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in PYXICEPHALIDAE

EN

Nothophryne baylissi

Declining
VU

Arthroleptella atermina

Unknown
EN

Arthroleptella landdrosia

Unknown
EN

Inago Mongrel Frog

Nothophryne inagoensis

Declining

Threatened in South Africa

VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Black-Spotted Blue

Orachrysops mijburghi

Unknown
Cape GannetEN

Cape Gannet

Morus capensis

Declining
Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Rough Moss Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Rough Moss 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. Arthroleptella rugosa faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development, agriculture, and invasive vegetation in its restricted range in the Western Cape of South Africa. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it highly vulnerable to local extinctions from habitat fragmentation and degradation. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns affecting the moist conditions essential for this frog's survival.
Where does Rough Moss Frog live?
Rough Moss Frog occurs in South Africa. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Rough Moss Frog?
The main threats to Rough Moss Frog are 8.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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