This Rare and Small Frog Has Been Saved

A small frog that lives in a single warm stream in Argentina’s Patagonia region has been brought back from the brink of extinction.

“As a conservation symbol, the El Rincon frogs are very important because they are the most threatened amphibian species in the country,” says Federico Kacoliris, who mobilized a conservation movement around the tiny frog.

The El Rincon frog, which inhabits the river on Argentina’s Somuncurá Plateau exclusively, was classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN’s Red List due to habitat loss, invasive species, and cattle ranching. It was once considered one of the world’s most threatened amphibians. Kacoliris and team were able to increase the frog’s natural habitat by 15% using natural features such as waterfalls with artificial barriers. They also began to work with local ranchers to address issues related to cattle ranching. El Rincon’s numbers have increased to 5,175 frogs, up from roughly 4,500 in 2018. This small frog’s win is significant, especially considering that amphibians receive only 2.8% of conservation funding, despite being threatened with extinction at a rate of 41%.