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Micro frog

species of amphibian

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Science and natureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 4, 2026
Entity authorityQ968209
Source-derived summary

The micro frog (Microbatrachella capensis), or Cape Flats frog, is a species of frog less than 2 cm (0.8 in) long in the family Pyxicephalidae, in the monotypic genus Microbatrachella. Its color varies from rufous brown with dark mottling, to tan or green, depending on the population. It is endemic to the south-western Cape area of South Africa, with a single population found on the Cape Flats of Cape Town and several populations on the eastern side of False Bay. It typically lives in wetlands in coastal fynbos habitats, but its total area of occupancy is very small, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being "critically endangered".

Description

The micro frog is a very small frog with a rounded snout and smooth skin. At around 18 mm (0.71 in) long, it is one of the smallest regional species. The dorsal surface is dark brown speckled with pale brown, and there is a pale band of color running down each flank. There is a dark bar between the eyes and a narrow pale line along the spine. The underparts are pale brown and the belly spotted with white.

Distribution and habitat

The micro frog is endemic to the south-western Cape area of South Africa, with a single population found on the Cape Flats of Cape Town and a series of populations on the eastern side of False Bay, from Kogelberg to Cape Agulhas.

Editorial summary

“Micro frog” enters the record as species of amphibian. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Micro, frog and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current 238-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its strongest next move is a source search built around Micro, frog and species.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

“Micro frog” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Micro, frog and species provides the most credible route into that argument.

Evidence profile

Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q968209. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Micro frog”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Micro frog primary sources, Micro frog archive and Micro research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Micro frog”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Micro frog” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.