News

Found only in the fragmented humid forests of Ambohitantely Special Reserve, Vallan's climbing frog and Helena’s Stump-toad frog are under threat from fires, illegal woodcutting, and overgrazing by livestock, all of which put their habitat at risk. 

A team of four, led by amphibian expert Gaël Rakotomanga, spent 15 nights in search of the cryptic frogs. The surveys they carried out form part of a long-term population monitoring plan which began in 2018, when Durrell produced the first ever population estimates for these species. However, in 2022, a severe fire destroyed a large area of forest in the reserve, so these surveys now also aim to investigate the impact of fire on the frog populations. 

Living in the leaf litter and tree holes, and being very small, the frogs are not easy to find. Instead of relying on sight, the team spent 3 hours each night listening for the distinctive calls of both species and recorded their presence at set locations. 

A total of 92 vocal records were captured during the surveys: 33 from Vallan’s climbing frog, and 59 from Helena’s stump-toad frog. Despite this, there were only two visual observations, showing just how hard they are to spot!