Forest rain frog

Not to be confused with Rainforest frog.

Forest rain frog
subsp. sylvestris
subsp. taeniatus
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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

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 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

1. 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.
2. "AmphibiaWeb - Breviceps sylvestris". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
3. 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.
4. "AmphibiaWeb - Breviceps sylvestris". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-07.