Phrynomantis bifasciatus
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The banded rubber frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus) is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is found in central and southern Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, intermittent freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, water storage areas, ponds, and canals and ditches.
The Banded rubber frog is primarily black, with two stripes on the back and spots on the legs, which can range from pink to orange in color. Its length is 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in). These frogs release a milky toxic substance through their skin. This substance can be lethal both to other frog species and humans.
This species of Microhylid is kept in captivity. Prof.S.Jansen, Tuks, University of Pretoria, E. 2012. Van den Berg, B. Photo of Red Banded Rubber Frog, 2005 Wikipedia →
Uncertain0:22
South Africa · 2026
© JJSUN · XC1080070 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:12
Botswana · 2016
© Dewald du Plessis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:09
Malawi · 2024
© Tim Brammer · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle Marine Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Rubber Frog sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 22 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Rubber Frog in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May and July–October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-Banded Rubber Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Red-Banded Rubber Frog sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same order: Anura
The closest relatives of the Red-Banded Rubber Frog that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Painted Reed Frog (about 50%), Tinker Reed Frog (about 40%) and Natal Forest Tree Frog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Banded Rubber Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (12 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.
