De Villiers' Moss Frog

Fascinating facts about the De Villiers' Moss Frog

• At just 22 mm long, about the length of a thumb nail, this frog is one of the tiniest vertebrates in the Western Cape, yet it still dwarfs the even smaller micro frog.
• Unlike most frogs, it never swims; females slip their eggs into moist leaves and the youngsters hatch straight out of the egg capsule, skipping a free-swimming tadpole stage.
• It lives only in the Western Cape of South Africa, making it an endemic resident of the region’s Mediterranean-type shrublands, riverbanks, and even nearby plantations.

At a glance

About the De Villiers' Moss Frog

The De Villiers' moss frog (Arthroleptella villiersi) is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa, and measures about 22 mm (0.87 in) in length. It does not enter water; females lay eggs in damp vegetation, and the frogs hatch directly from the egg capsules. Its natural habitats include Mediterranean-type shrubland, rivers, and plantations, and it is threatened by habitat loss.

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