Desert rain frog

Breviceps macrops

The desert rain frog is a round-bodied frog of Afrotropical desert and coastal habitats. It is a solitary nocturnal carnivore.

Key facts

Desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops) is a carnivore animal classified as Amphibian · Anura · Brevicipitidae.
Primary habitats are desert · coast, with a range across Afrotropical.
Activity is nocturnal, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is NT (Near Threatened).
The desert rain frog is a round-bodied frog of Afrotropical desert and coastal habitats.
It lives in coastal dunes and dry sandy ground.
Typical lifespan: 4–10 years

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

It lives in coastal dunes and dry sandy ground. Fog and damp sand support it, and by day it burrows to avoid drying out.

Body length is about 4-6 cm and weight about 8-18 g. A round body, short legs, and bulging eyes suit a sand-burrowing life.

It is nocturnal and solitary. On humid nights it emerges from sand, and when startled it may give a high-pitched call.

It is carnivorous, eating small insects and sandy-ground invertebrates. It searches for moving prey near the surface.

It is known for direct development, with young hatching as tiny frogs rather than free-swimming tadpoles. Damp sand is important.

Its conservation status is NT. Dependence on coastal dunes makes habitat change a concern.