CR

Western Spiny Frog

Eleutherodactylus symingtoni

Declining

Overview

Eleutherodactylus symingtoni, commonly called the western spiny frog or Symington's robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to western Cuba, where it is found in rocky areas and caves in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat disturbance and may be impacted by chytridiomycosis, though presence of the fungus has not been documented in any populations.

Eleutherodactylus symingtoni faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited montane forest range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and human encroachment. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist conditions essential for this high-elevation endemic's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits cool, moist montane forests at high elevations, typically found in leaf litter and low vegetation within primary forest environments. It requires the stable microclimate conditions provided by intact forest canopy cover.

Forest· majorRocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservationFormal educationAwareness & communications

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Western Spiny Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Western Spiny 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. Eleutherodactylus symingtoni faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited montane forest range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and human encroachment. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist conditions essential for this high-elevation endemic's survival.
Where does Western Spiny Frog live?
Western Spiny Frog occurs in Cuba. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Western Spiny Frog?
The main threats to Western Spiny Frog are 2.1, 8.1, 8.2, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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