At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Stable
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The dusky gopher frog is one of the most endangered amphibians in North America, surviving around a few ponds in Mississippi. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It shelters in burrows and breeds in seasonal ponds.
Range & habitat
A tiny area of Mississippi in the southern United States.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Loss of its breeding ponds and longleaf pine habitat
- A tiny population
- Disease
Why it matters
A frog reduced to a handful of ponds, the dusky gopher frog is a flagship for restoring the longleaf pine ecosystem of the US Southeast.
Sources
Sources for Dusky Gopher Frog
- IUCN Red List — look up Dusky Gopher Frog (authoritative status)
- AmphibiaWeb (UC Berkeley)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the dusky gopher frog so rare?
It survives around only a few seasonal breeding ponds in Mississippi, having lost almost all of its historic longleaf pine habitat — leaving a tiny, vulnerable population.
Why is the dusky gopher frog Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite the loss of its breeding ponds and pine habitat, a tiny population, and disease. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: