The forest rain frog (Breviceps sylvestris) is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is endemic to Limpopo, South Africa. Two allopatric subspecies are recognized: the nominate one, Breviceps sylvestris sylvestris, and Breviceps sylvestris taeniatus Poynton, 1963 from near Soutpansberg.[2][3] Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate grassland, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1]
| Forest rain frog | |
|---|---|
| |
| subsp. sylvestris | |
| |
| subsp. taeniatus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Brevicipitidae |
| Genus: | Breviceps |
| Species: | B. sylvestris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Breviceps sylvestris FitzSimons, 1930
| |
| |
Forest rain frogs can range in colour from red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. They can also vary in size from a mere 2 cm and grow to be about 10 cm in body length. The purple frogs are known to contain a defence mechanism consisting of a toxic chemical on their slimy exterior. If contact is made with this toxin the temporary effect of paralysis can occur.[citation needed]
Breviceps sylvestris taeniatus is a subspecies of the forest rain frog and is found near Soutpansberg. It is separated from the main species by uninhabitable terrain.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group.; South African Frog Re-assessment Group; et al. (SA-FRoG) (2016). "Breviceps sylvestris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T57721A77162960. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T57721A77162960.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "AmphibiaWeb - Breviceps sylvestris". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Breviceps sylvestris FitzSimons, 1930". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ^ "AmphibiaWeb - Breviceps sylvestris". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
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