At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Sources disagree — IUCN's 2025 global assessment says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Table Mountain ghost frog is found only on and around Table Mountain in South Africa, one of the smallest ranges of any frog. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Its tadpoles cling to rocks in fast streams with sucker-like mouths.
Range & habitat
Streams on Table Mountain near Cape Town, South Africa.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Altered stream flow and dams
- Fires and erosion
- An extremely small range
Why it matters
A frog confined to the streams of a single iconic mountain, the Table Mountain ghost frog is a flagship for protecting fragile mountain watercourses.
Sources
Sources for Table Mountain Ghost Frog
- IUCN Red List — look up Table Mountain Ghost Frog (authoritative status)
- AmphibiaWeb (UC Berkeley)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do ghost frog tadpoles survive fast streams?
Their tadpoles have large sucker-like mouths that let them cling to rocks in fast-flowing water, where they graze without being swept away.
Why is the Table Mountain ghost frog Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite altered stream flow and dams, fires and erosion, and an extremely small range on Table Mountain. See the IUCN Red List.