Heleophryne regis
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The royal ghost frog (Heleophryne regis), also known as the southern ghost frog or Cape ghost frog, is a species of frog in the family Heleophrynidae. It is endemic to South Africa, and lives in fast-moving streams. Ghost frogs get their name as one of the six species found in Skeleton Gorge (on Table Mountain), South Africa. The underside of the body, including the jaw, has small hooks, which help the frogs climb over wet rocks near their habitats. The frogs measure 35–45 mm (1.4–1.8 in) in length. It is in the same size range as Hewitt's ghost frog, but is smaller than Purcell's ghost frog. The top side of its body is brown with yellow spots, and the underside is white. The limbs are plain-colored, and flesh-colored underneath. Their tadpoles take up to two years to develop fully. The call of the royal ghost frog is a harsh, creaking sound, given at around one call per second.
All species of ghost frogs are endemic to the southern tip of Africa. Its natural habitat is fynbos heathland in the Western and Eastern provinces of South Africa, and specifically cool mountain streams at an altitude of 230–790 metres (750–2,590 ft).
It is threatened by habitat... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal ghost frog sighting in Garden Route National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 12 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–March, July, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal ghost frog in Garden Route National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, August, October and December, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Royal ghost frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Garden Route National Park, in our data
Garden Route National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Royal ghost frog sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Anura
The closest relatives of the Royal ghost frog that you can see in Garden Route National Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Ranger's Toad (about 40%), Cape River Frog (about 30%) and Painted Reed Frog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Royal ghost frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Garden Route National Park (10 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.
