Amathole Toad (Vandijkophrynus amatolicus)
Critically Endangered
This small toad (reaching a max of 4 cm in length) is unique to the grasslands of the Amathole Mountains in the Hogsback area.
It’s numbers have plummeted dramatically over the past few decades due to a decline in its habitat.
Primary threats are the deforestation by forestry companies in the Hogsback area in the Amathole District, Eastern Cape, as well as the possible impact of Ranavirus, a viral disease that may be responsible for declines in this species.
Visit the Amathole Toad page on the EWT website for more information on local threats and EWT interventions.
For a while it was even thought to be possibly extinct, having not been seen between 1998 and 2011. Happily, the toad has since been spotted at a few localities, including a new unknown site.
Watch the story of the Amathole Toad:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpvKSC8k4aU
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2oz4ghYpnA
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Habitat