Breviceps macrops Boulenger, 1907
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.
Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops) in South Africa
Dylan Leonard · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The desert rain frog, web-footed rain frog, or Boulenger's short-headed frog (Breviceps macrops) is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is the narrow strip of sandy shore between the sea and the sand dunes. This habitat is characterised by loose sand and continuous strong winds, with approximately 60 millimetres (2.4 in) of annual precipitation and no surface water. The species is threatened with habitat loss by such factors as mining and tourism. Estimates in 2011 suggested that there are fewer than 10,000 individuals, and with its reduction of habitat it is considered to be vulnerable.
Wikipedia contributors, Desert rain frog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T15:33:21.205359+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Breviceps macrops Boulenger, 1907
- Name authority
- Boulenger, 1907
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Brevicipitidae
- Genus
- Breviceps
- 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
- familyBrevicipitidae Bonaparte, 1850
- genusBreviceps Merrem, 1820
- speciesBreviceps macrops Boulenger, 1907
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Breviceps. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Breviceps acutirostris Poynton, 1963 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps adspersus Peters, 1882 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps branchi Channing, 2012 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps fuscus Hewitt, 1925 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps passmorei Minter, Netherlands & Du Preez, 2017 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps pentheri Werner, 1899 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps poweri Parker, 1934 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps rosei Power, 1926 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps sopranus Minter, 2003 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps sylvestris FitzSimons, 1930 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Breviceps mossambicus Peters, 1854 | BrevicipitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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=664320 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:5X3GX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.