Sclerophrys pantherina
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by Gary M. Stolz, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The western leopard toad (Sclerophrys pantherina) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. The species is endemic to the low-lying areas of the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Flats and the Agulhas flats of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Two macro-populations exist, broadly referred to as the Cape Town and Overberg clusters. Its natural foraging habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, falling within several vegetation types including Cape Flats Sand Plain Fynbos and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld.
The species is not restricted to pristine habitat as much of its historical feeding grounds currently fall under residential suburbs, hence leopard toads are often found living in suburban gardens. Breeding habitat includes swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, urban riverine watercourses, natural ponds and garden ponds.
It is threatened by habitat loss, as well as other urban obstacles and barriers such as walls, electric fencing, canals and roads. Introduced or exotic fauna and flora like ducks, fish and algae threaten the quality of breeding habitat and the... Wikipedia →
Recording0:08
South Africa · 2025
© Kurt van Wyk · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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South Africa · 2024
© margiejarvis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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South Africa · 2021
© Tony Rebelo · iNaturalist · CC BY-SA 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Two Oceans Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Leopard Toad sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 2,391 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 13 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Western Leopard Toad in Cape Town on a given day, against about 20% in April, the lowest month. That is one of Cape Town's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Leopard Toad sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Cape Town, in our data
Cape Town is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Western Leopard Toad sightings: about 40% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Leopard Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Cape Town (2,391 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
