The Botucatu smooth-horned frog
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Tracks featuring this species:
‘Will I look like that’, Fingathing
The Botucatu smooth-horned frog (Proceratophrys moratoí), or ‘Botucatu escuerzo’ (its local name) is a species of frog in the family Odontophrynidae. It is endemic (native and restricted) to the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It occurs in open areas of low vegetation and in forests near small streams and swampy areas.
Photo Credit: Carlos Henrique Nunes de Almeida (CC BY 3.0)
Climate connections
Climate change presents a serious and emerging challenge to the survival of many amphibians, which are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. While habitat loss remains a key threat, climate change is now the most common cause of declines in around 30 - 40% of species. This is mostly due to rising temperatures and increasing periods of drought, which limits the ability of amphibians to keep themselves and their offspring moist. Research also suggests that when temperatures vary unpredictably, amphibians might succumb faster to chytridiomycosis - a fungus that has been responsible for killing amphibians around the world.
Read more about the threats posed to amphibians by climate change.
