Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwinii).
Image: Ong ranita, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2018 global assessment of Rhinoderma darwinii says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
Darwin's frog is a small, leaf-mimicking frog famous for the male brooding tadpoles inside his vocal sac. It is assessed as Endangered.
It was first noted by Charles Darwin in Chile.
Range & habitat
Forest streams of southern Chile and Argentina.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- The amphibian fungal disease chytridiomycosis
- Habitat loss
- Fragmentation
Why it matters
A frog with one of the most extraordinary forms of parental care, Darwin's frog is a flagship for the temperate forests of southern South America and the amphibian crisis.
Sources
Sources for Darwin's Frog
- IUCN Red List — look up Darwin's Frog (authoritative status)
- AmphibiaWeb (UC Berkeley)
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Darwin's frog care for its young?
The male takes the developing eggs into his vocal sac, where the tadpoles grow and are eventually released as tiny froglets from his mouth — a remarkable form of parental care.
Why is Darwin's frog Endangered?
Published assessments cite the amphibian fungal disease chytridiomycosis, habitat loss, and fragmentation. A close relative may already be extinct. See the IUCN Red List.