Heleophryne purcelli Sclater, 1898
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Photo of Heleophryne purcelli uploaded from iNaturalist.
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Open encyclopedia reference
The Purcell's ghost frog (Heleophryne purcelli) is a species of frog in the family Heleophrynidae.
It is endemic to Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Its natural habitat is fynbos heathland. Breeding takes place in perennial streams. Their tadpoles take two years to develop fully.
Purcell's ghost frog is a common species that is not significantly threatened, although it is locally affected by introduced species.
Wikipedia contributors, Purcell's ghost frog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T16:18:27.103522+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Heleophryne purcelli Sclater, 1898
- Name authority
- Sclater, 1898
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Heleophrynidae
- Genus
- Heleophryne
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyHeleophrynidae Noble, 1931
- genusHeleophryne Sclater, 1898
- speciesHeleophryne purcelli Sclater, 1898
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Heleophryne. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Heleophryne depressa FitzSimons, 1946 | HeleophrynidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Heleophryne hewitti Boycott, 1988 | HeleophrynidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Heleophryne regis Hewitt, 1910 | HeleophrynidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Heleophryne rosei Hewitt, 1925 | HeleophrynidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Heleophryne purcelli purcelli Sclater, 1898 Sclater, 1898 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=208066 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3K4WB. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.