Blue Cycad vs Coastal Rocket Frog

Encephalartos nubimontanus compared with Allobates bromelicola

Key Differences

• Blue Cycad is Extinct in the Wild while Coastal Rocket Frog is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue Cycad	Coastal Rocket Frog
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)	Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order	Cycadales (Cycadales)	Anura (Frogs & Toads)
Family	Zamiaceae	Aromobatidae
Genus	Encephalartos	Allobates
Species	Encephalartos nubimontanus	Allobates bromelicola

Conservation Status

Blue Cycad

EW — Extinct in the Wild

Coastal Rocket Frog

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue Cycad	Coastal Rocket Frog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue Cycad

Coastal Rocket Frog

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Venezuela. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Blue Cycad

The Blue Cycad (Encephalartos nubimontanus) is a species in the genus Encephalartos. It is currently classified as Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List. As a member of the genus Encephalartos, it shares ecological traits with closely related species.

Coastal Rocket Frog

Coastal rocket frog (Allobates bromelicola) is a small terrestrial frog in the family Allophrynidae (formerly placed in Dendrobatidae), endemic to coastal lowland forests of Venezuela. Despite its placement near poison dart frogs, Allobates species are non-toxic. This species inhabits the humid leaf litter and bromeliads of coastal Venezuelan forests, where adults care for egg clutches and transport tadpoles to small water bodies including bromeliad phytotelmata. The genus Allobates is widespread across Amazonian and coastal South American forests, characterised by vocal males, ground-level activity, and close parental care. Coastal rocket frog is assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, primarily due to restricted range, habitat loss from deforestation for agriculture, livestock grazing, and urban expansion along Venezuela's coast. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns affecting its bromeliad microhabitats. The species' specific association with bromeliads makes it particularly sensitive to vegetation structure loss. As with many narrowly endemic amphibians, ex-situ conservation programmes and improved habitat protection within its range are considered important management priorities.