Red-Banded Rubber Frog

Red-Banded Rubber Frog

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Kruger National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

66 Verified sightings at Kruger National Park From 2019 to 2026
78 In all 2 parks
December Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Red-Banded Rubber Frog

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 →

Sounds

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

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Seattle Marine Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-Banded Rubber Frog in Kruger National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Rubber Frog sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 28 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-Banded Rubber Frog in Kruger National Park?

March–April and November–December

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Rubber Frog in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and September–October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Red-Banded Rubber Frog?

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.

Is Kruger National Park the best place to see a Red-Banded Rubber Frog?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Red-Banded Rubber Frog sightings, Kruger National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Red-Banded Rubber Frog live in Kruger National Park?

Same order: Anura

The closest relatives of the Red-Banded Rubber Frog that you can see in Kruger National Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Grey Foam-nest Treefrog (about 30%), Garman's Toad (about 20%) and Anchieta's Ridged Frog (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Red-Banded Rubber Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-Banded Rubber Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Kruger National Park (66 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.

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