Microbatrachella capensis (Boulenger, 1910)
M. capensis is southern Africa’s most threatened lowland amphibian. More than 80% of its habitat has been lost. Previously listed as Rare (McLachlan 1978) and Endangered (Branch 1988), Harrison et al. (2001) finds the species is now classified Critically Endangered (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
M. capensis is endemic to South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho within 10 km of the coast in areas with an annual rainfall of >500 mm. The species is restricted to the winter-rainfall region of the Western Cape Province of South Africa (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
M. capensis has specialized habitat requirements and is sensitive to urban and agricultural threats and invasive plants and animals. The species is restricted to certain wetlands in low-lying coastal areas of the Fynbos Biome. The wetlands comprise ponds, pans, vleis and coastal lakelets filled with darkly stained, humic, generally acidic waters (pH 4.0–7.0). Most of these wetlands are seasonal, and by late summer most breeding sites are dry. Some of the larger wetlands (<25%) at times still retain some water by the end of the dry season, and a few never seem to dry up. The wetland substrates tend to contain a dark humic layer, and the sandy surroundings vary from white to grey to almost black, depending on the humic content. When their wetland habitat starts to dry up, these frogs bury themselves and aestivate through the dry season (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).
M. capensis is a winter breeder and commences breeding once the rains have filled its seasonal wetland habitat. Breeding activity has been recorded as early as May (Visser 1979) and as late as October, but the prime breeding season is July–September (Text from Minter et al., 2004, © SI/MAB Biodiversity Program).