NatureUganda Launches Search for Lost Frog on Mt. Elgon

In an effort to rediscover one of Africa’s most elusive amphibians, Ms Violet Kantono, a project assistant at NatureUganda, has been awarded a Rufford Small Grant to lead a landmark conservation initiative titled “Conserving the Critically Endangered Du Toit’s Torrent Frog (Arthroleptides dutoiti) in Mt. Elgon National Park, Uganda.” The project is scheduled to run from September 2025 to July 2026.

Ms Kantono during a field research exercise

Arthroleptides dutoiti,commonly known as Du Toit’s Torrent Frog is a Critically Endangered species endemic to Mount Elgon (Jacob & Christopher, 2021); recorded with dramatic population declines due to factors like agriculture, deforestation, infrastructure development and climate change, which have altered its microhabitats. First recorded in 1934 along Kenya’s Koitobos River and last seen in 1962 at the Suam River, the species has not been documented in over six decades despite numerous surveys between 2001 and 2014. Recent research confirms it has likely been locally extirpated in repeatedly surveyed sites, though its presence in unsampled Ugandan habitats remains unknown.

Mount Elgon is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, home to numerous endemic and threatened species including the Elgon Forest Gecko and Du Toit’s Torrent Frog. The frog occupies a tiny extent of occurrence—likely under 10 km²—and is highly dependent on cold, oxygenated torrents within undisturbed montane forest.

This project will collect detailed data on the population size, distribution, and habitat characteristics of Arthroleptides dutoiti while raising awareness about its conservation needs.