Assessment Results
Barbarophryne brongersmai
Brongersma's Toad
Crapaud De Brongersma
Order:
Anura
Family:
Bufonidae
Synonym(s):
Bufo brongersmai
Assessed for:
Morocco
on:
16 Apr 2026
by:
Devin Edmonds
Authors:
Abdellah Bouazza, Aziza Lansari, Benjamin Tapley, Olivier Marquis, Gerardo García
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
20.57176966
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Least Concern (LC) | |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | No / unlikely | The species is considered common in most of its distributional range and is possibly the most abundant amphibian in semiarid rocky environments |
| 3 | Phylogenetic significance | The taxon’s Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) score, as generated by the ZSL EDGE program. (These data are not editable by Assessors). | ED value 20 - 50 | |
| 4 | Protected habitat | Is a population of at least 50% of the individuals of the taxon included within a well-managed or reliably protected area or areas? | No / unlikely | Likely less than 20% are within protected areas but it is common and abundant within most of its range |
| 5 | Habitat for reintroduction, conservation translocation or supplementation | Does enough well-managed and reliably protected habitat exist, either within or outside of currently protected areas that is suitable for conservation translocation, including population restoration or conservation introduction? | Yes / probably | It is adaptable and can utilize a variety of habitats including temporary ponds, seasonal streams, and water reservoirs, so likely habitat could be created or restored within its existing range where it does not occur or where it formerly occurred. |
| 6 | Previous reintroductions | Have reintroduction or translocation attempts been made in the past for this species? | No | |
| 7 | In situ conservation activities | Are any in situ conservation actions currently in place for this species? (Only required if a Red List Assessment has not been completed, or if new actions have been implemented since the last Red List Assessment. (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.). | No / unlikely | However, all amphibian species are legally protected under national legislation, specifically Loi n° 29-05. |
| 8 | In situ conservation activities | Are additional in situ conservation actions required to help conserve this species in the wild (e.g. habitat restoration and/or protection, control of invasive species, national legislation etc.)? | Yes / probably | Actions are needed to mitigate the eutrophication and premature desiccation of breeding ponds used for cattle and irrigation |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Research has been conducted on its age structure and life history in arid environments (see Fattah et al. 2014) , but continued population monitoring is necessary. |
| 10 | Threat mitigation | Are the threats facing the taxon, including any new and emerging threats not considered in the IUCN Red List, potentially reversible? | Threats are likely to be reversible in time frame to prevent further decline / extinction | Threats like pond degradation and desiccation can be addressed through local water management |
| 11 | Over-collection from the wild | Is the taxon suffering from collection within its natural range, either for food, for the pet trade or for any other reason, which threatens the species’ continued persistence in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 12 | Population recovery | Is the known population of this species in the wild large enough to recover naturally, without ex situ intervention if threats are mitigated? | Yes / probably | The species si common and populations appear stable |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | |
| 14 | Biological distinctiveness | Does the taxon exhibit a distinctive reproductive mode, behaviour, aspect of morphology or physiology, within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.)? | No aspect of biology known to be exceptional | But the species is notable in that it can squeeze into rock fissures to maintain humidity during dry seasons, and also has very fast larval development (15–90 days). |
| 15 | Cultural/socio-economic importance | Does the taxon have a special human cultural value (e.g. as a national or regional symbol, in a historic context, featuring in traditional stories) or economic value (e.g. food, traditional medicine, tourism) within its natural range or in a wider global context? | No | |
| 16 | Scientific importance | Is the species vital to current or planned research other than species-specific ecology/biology/conservation within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.) e.g. human medicine, climate change, environmental pollutants and conservation science? | No research dependent on this species | However, it is an excellent evolutionary model for studying morphological specializations for life in hyper-arid environments. |
| 17 | Ex situ research | Does conserving this species (or closely related species) in situ depend upon research that can be most easily carried out ex situ? | No | |
| 18 | Ex situ conservation activities | Is any ex situ research or other ex situ conservation action currently in place for this species? (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.) | No / unlikely | |
| 19 | Husbandry analog required | If an ex situ rescue program is recommended for this species, would an analog species be required to develop husbandry protocols first? | No / unlikely | General bufonid husbandry protocols are likely applicable |
| 20 | Husbandry analog | Do the biological and ecological attributes of this species make it suitable for developing husbandry regimes for more threatened related species? i.e. could this species be used in captivity to help to develop husbandry and breeding protocols which could be used for a similar, but more endangered species at a later stage? | No | |
| 21 | Captive breeding | Has this species been successfully bred and/or maintained in captivity? | Yes, bred to F1 | They have been successfully bred in captivity for research purposes. Lansari and Bouazza (unpublished data) |
| 22 | Conservation education/ecotourism potential | Is the species especially diurnal, active or colourful, or is there an interesting or unusual aspect of its ecology that make it particularly suitable to be an educational ambassador for conservation of the species in the range country, either in zoos or aquariums or within ecotourism activities? | No | However, it is a xeric specialist and "Atlantic" endemic, so could serve as an excellent ambassador for Saharan fringe conservation |
| 23 | Mandate | Is there an existing conservation mandate recommending the ex situ conservation of this taxon? | No | |
| 24 | Range State approval | If an ex situ initiative was proposed for this species, would it be supported (and approved) by the range State (either within the range State or out-of-country ex situ)? | Yes / probably | |
| 25 | Founder specimens | Are sufficient animals of the taxon available or potentially available (from wild or captive sources) to initiate an ex situ program, if one was recommended? | Yes / probably | Available. Individuals can be sourced from abundant wild populations if a program were necessary |
| 26 | Taxonomic status | Has a complete taxonomic analysis of the species in the wild been carried out, to fully understand the functional unit you wish to conserve (i.e. have species limits been determined)? | Yes | Complete study conducted. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses confirmed its placement in the separate genus Barbarophryne (Beukema et al., 2013) |
Citation:
Abdellah Bouazza, Aziza Lansari, Benjamin Tapley, Olivier Marquis, Gerardo García 2026. Conservation Needs Assessment for Barbarophryne brongersmai, Morocco
(Devin Edmonds).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/7326
Accessed 27 Apr 2026
