Darwin's Frog: Saving An Endangered Frog from Extinction

Our break-through study together with Chilean NGO Ranita de Darwin has unlocked insights that could help halt the global amphibian apocalypse caused by chytrid fungus. The new study brings together field data collected over the course of a decade from almost 1,500 frogs, and is the first time that outbreak patterns of the disease have been documented in a species that spends its entire life on land. The fungus was previously understood to spread only through water, but the findings reveal that extremely local contact between frogs allows it to spread on land. This new knowledge provides vital insights for conservationists working across the globe to address the threat of the chytrid fungus. We rescued some of the last remaining Southern Darwin's frogs from extinction in 2024, bringing them to safety at London Zoo after alarming 90% declines were recorded. Since the frog's arrival over 30 rice-grain sized froglets have already been born at the Zoo, and by working closely with them we are continuing to advance understanding of their species.

There's no dad like a Darwin's frog! The males of these three species ingests eggs laid by the female, and allows the tadpoles to mature in his vocal sac until they become fully grown, miniature adults and hop out of their dad's mouth to find homes of their own.

(Image: A Southern Darwin's frog daddy (Rhinoderma darwinii) by Claudio Azat)

Southern Darwin’s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), males with froglets, family Rhinodermatidae, found in the Valdivian Temperate Rain Forest of Chile and Argentina

ENDANGERED.

Famous for its child rearing technique. The male holds both the eggs and tadpoles in his vocal sac. The froglets emerge from the male’s mouth after metamorphosing.

Endangered due to habitat destruction.

photograph by Claudio Azat

Darwin’s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), males, family Rhinodermatidae, found in the Valdivian Temperate Rain Forest of Chile and Argentina

ENDANGERED.

Famous for its child rearing technique. The male holds both the eggs and tadpoles in his vocal sac. The froglets emerge from the male’s mouth after metamorphosing.

Endangered due to habitat destruction and chytrid fungus.

Mehuin Green Frog aka Barrio's Frog (Insuetophrynus acarpicus), family Rhinodermatidae, found in only a few localities near Valdivia, Chile

ENDANGERED.

Endangered due to deforestation.