Narrow-Mouthed Frogs: Microhylidae

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) considers six species are Critically Endangered, which means that they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild; twenty-five species are Endangered and face a very high risk of extinction in the wild; thirty-six are Vulnerable and face a high risk of extinction in the wild; seventeen are Near Threatened and at risk of becoming threatened with extinction in the future; and 155 are Data Deficient, which means that scientists do not have enough information to make a judgment about the threat of extinction.

The Critically Endangered species include the beautiful nursery frog, which is also known as the elegant frog, and five others known only by their scientific names. These are Albericus siegfriedi, Microhyla karunaratnei, Parhoplophryne usambarica, Scaphiophryne gottlebei, and Stumpffia helenae. Most of these live in very small areas that are changing as people clear the land for purposes such as farming. Often, the frogs cannot survive these changes. Some of the species are also in danger from pollution and from global warming. Scientists believe that global warming in the future will cause weather-related problems, such as especially long-lasting, dry spells, that will harm the frogs and may lead to extinction for some species.

Since many of the narrow-mouthed frogs live in rainforests, and people continue to cut down rainforests, many environmentalists are worried about the future of these frogs, many of which scientists know little about. If the frogs have no place left to live, they will likely die off.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not list any United States species of narrow-mouthed frogs to be at risk.