Breviceps rosei
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Rose's rain frog or Rose's rainfrog (Breviceps rosei) is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is endemic to the sandveld of south-western coastal South Africa. It is less-frequently known as Rose's short-headed frog, Rose's Blaasop, or the sand rain frog. Some treat Breviceps fasciatus as a synonym of this species, although other authorities have expressed doubt.
Frogs in this species spend most of their lives in subterranean nests under sandy ground, where they lay their eggs. They surface during heavy rain. They cannot swim, and are not found in water. Tadpoles develop inside the eggs and hatch as fully formed baby frogs.
Its natural habitats are temperate shrubland, Fynbos Mediterranean shrubland vegetation, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas. It is threatened by habitat loss, and its range is restricted to less than 20,000 square kilometers. Despite this, its future seems secure, as it is very adaptable and remains locally abundant.
There are two subspecies found on separate coasts. The sand rain frog (Breviceps rosei rosei) occurs on the west coast of the Western Cape, and on Robben Island. The eastern... Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
South Africa · 2025
© Luke Goddard · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:10
South Africa · 2020
© Leighan Mossop · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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South Africa · 2026
© Charleen Brunke · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rose's Rain Frog sighting in Garden Route National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 12 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rose's Rain Frog in Garden Route National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rose's Rain Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rose's Rain Frog sightings, Garden Route National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Table Mountain National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rose's Rain Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Garden Route National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
