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

Why it's Now at Risk 

Conservationists say diamond mining and planned energy developments are the primary threats to the frog's habitat, with its population expected to decline by roughly 20 percent over the next two decades. Alex Lawrence, a scientist with the conservation group Anura Africa, noted that if the habitat were transformed, there would be no room for the species to move further up or down the coast to compensate. 

The frog's own popularity has added a second, less obvious threat. Its widely shared, undeniably endearing appearance has raised concerns that it could become a target for the exotic pet trade. Benjamin Tapley, curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Zoological Society of London, warned that frogs as visually unique as this can become victims of their own fame, with viral attention potentially increasing demand from collectors. 

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