Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), family Bufonidae, Tanzania
EXTINCT IN THE WILD. (declared in 2009)
This species was endemic to a two-hectare (5-acre) area at the base of the Kihansi River waterfall in the Udzungwa escarpment of the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania.
The small population of this habitat restricted toad fluctuated greatly over the years, with the largest known peak being ~29,000 individuals. By 2004, only 3 individuals were found, the last of the frogs seen in the wild.
Extinction in the wild was due to habitat destruction and degradation due to the construction of the Kihansi Dam in 1999.
The species is being bred and cared for in zoos around the world, and reintroduction efforts are under way (which includes habitat restoration).
Like other toads in this genus, they give live birth.
photographs by RatioTile






















