Cape rain frog

Cape rain frog
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Brevicipitidae
Genus:	Breviceps
Species:	B. gibbosus
Binomial name
Breviceps gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The cape rain frog or giant rain frog (Breviceps gibbosus) is a species of frog in the Brevicipitidae family.

Distribution

Cape Rain Frog, Claremont, Cape Town, 2014

It is endemic to South Africa, where it occurs in the far south-western Cape, in Cape Town and northwards as far as Citrusdal.

In this area it inhabits Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, known as fynbos, renosterveld, pastureland on farms, rural gardens, and even urban areas. It seems to adapt well to suburban gardens, but like most frog species it is vulnerable to herbicide poisons and domestic pets.

It is threatened by causes of habitat loss, such as urban sprawl and spread of agriculture.

Life cycle

The Cape Rain Frog lives underground and usually emerges just before rains (from whence it got its common name). It is also seen in misty or damp conditions generally. Local people consider it good luck. Its burrowing provides a role in aerating soil in the south west Cape. It feeds on worms and small insects. When alarmed, it usually inflates its body into a ball.

This species does not require open water to breed (in fact it cannot swim and will drown if placed in the water). Males call for the females with a distinctive trill, day and night throughout much of the rainy winter, and after mating they lay fertilised eggs in a burrow. The females stand guard over the eggs until the young frogs are fully formed. They do not go through a stage of being tadpoles.