© Ignacio De La Riva
Species of the Day: Goliath Frog
The Goliath Frog, Conraua goliath, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened SpeciesTM. This aptly named species is the world’s largest frog and is restricted to
a narrow region in west-central Africa.
Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org
www.amphibians.org
Help Save Species
www.arkive.org
With trapping methods becoming increasingly sophisticated, harvesting for food has caused
the Goliath Frog population to decline. The enormous size of this species has also made it
a target for the pet trade, with approximately 300 individuals imported from Cameroon to the
United States each year. Additionally, the Goliath Frog is affected by the loss of forest habitat
for agriculture, logging, and human settlements, as well as by sedimentation of its breeding
streams.
To conserve the Goliath Frog, efforts need to be made to safeguard areas of remaining habitat,
and to work with local communities to manage harvests at sustainable levels. If the population
continues to decline, a captive breeding programme could be critical to the survival of this
species in the long-term.
Species of the Day
is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership:
IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife
International, Conservation International, NatureServe and
Zoological Society of London.