Rare sighting of Amatola Toad

A rare toad that was thought to be extinct has been spotted in a forestry estate near Hogsback in the Eastern Cape.

The Amatola toad (Vandijkophrynus amatolicus) is a grassland frog restricted to a narrow range within the Amathole region. The last known sighting of this species was in 1998, approximately 10 km north-east of Hogsback. Prior to that sighting a further 13 years had elapsed since the previous record, and there are only 20 records of this species in total since it was described in 1925.

Due to its limited distribution, rarity and the threats imposed by timber plantations within its range, this species was listed as Critically Endangered in 2010. Attempts to find the species have increased in recent years but these efforts went unrewarded for over a decade, leading to fears that it may have become extinct.

But in September 2011 Jeanne Tarrant, Michael Cunningham and Kirsten Wimburger encountered this species at the same site it was last seen, adjacent to the Cathcart Road leading away from Hogsback (32^o33'S, 26^o55'E). There is a small stream running through a wetland area below pine plantations. Slightly above the wetland, toad tadpoles and egg strings were found in shallow puddles along a forestry track through the grassland, suggesting breeding of V. amatolicus at the site. That evening, a single female was discovered under a small pine log adjacent to the forestry track, which confirms that the Amatola toad is extant and breeding. The fact that it is breeding in shallow puddles on a dirt track in grassland, an abundant biotype in this area, suggests that the species is likely to be found elsewhere in the area.

by Jeanne Tarrant (African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, School of Environmental Sciences & Development, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University)