The Internet's Favorite Angry Frog Is Now at Risk of Extinction

The Frog Behind the Viral Clips

Scientifically known as Breviceps macrops, the desert rain frog became a viral favorite for its distinctive defensive display: when it senses danger, it inflates its round little body like a balloon and emits a squeak far larger than its walnut-sized frame would suggest. Videos of the display have circulated widely online for years as one of the internet's go-to clips of a furious tiny animal. 

Beyond its viral fame, the frog is genuinely unusual. Unlike most frogs, it doesn't hop; its stout body and short legs mean it simply walks across the sand instead. It also doesn't require standing water to survive, relying on burrowing into moist sand and absorbing moisture through its skin to get by in one of the driest habitats any frog species calls home. 

'