CR

Ruiz's Rocket Frog

Hyloxalus ruizi

Declining

Overview

Hyloxalus ruizi is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia and only known from the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the Cundinamarca Department.

Hyloxalus ruizi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and mining activities in its limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species is particularly vulnerable due to its restricted distribution and specialized habitat requirements, making it highly susceptible to environmental changes and human encroachment.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits cloud forests and montane humid forests in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, typically found in areas with dense vegetation, high humidity, and permanent water sources at elevations between 1,800-2,400 meters.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in DENDROBATIDAE

Blessed Poison FrogVU

Blessed Poison Frog

Ranitomeya benedicta

Declining
EN

Colostethus ucumari

Unknown
VU

Ameerega pepperi

Declining
EN

Darwin Wallace Poison-Frog

Epipedobates darwinwallacei

Declining

Threatened in Colombia

EN

Helena's Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca helenae

Stable
VU

Cavendishia macrocephala

Unknown
EN

Cavendishia sessiliflora

Unknown
VU

Macleania crassa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ruiz's Rocket Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Ruiz's Rocket 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. Hyloxalus ruizi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and mining activities in its limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species is particularly vulnerable due to its restricted distribution and specialized habitat requirements, making it highly susceptible to environmental changes and human encroachment.
Where does Ruiz's Rocket Frog live?
Ruiz's Rocket Frog occurs in Colombia. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Ruiz's Rocket Frog?
The main threats to Ruiz's Rocket Frog are 2.3, 5.3, 9.3.4, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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