Chungan Sucker Frog vs Lesser Smoothcap

Amolops chunganensis compared with Atrichum angustatum

Key Differences

Chungan Sucker Frog is Least Concern while Lesser Smoothcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chungan Sucker Frog	Lesser Smoothcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Polytrichopsida (Polytrichopsida)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Polytrichales (Polytrichales)
Family	Ranidae	Polytrichaceae
Genus	Amolops	Atrichum
Species	Amolops chunganensis	Atrichum angustatum

Conservation Status

Chungan Sucker Frog

LC — Least Concern

Lesser Smoothcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chungan Sucker Frog	Lesser Smoothcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chungan Sucker Frog

Habitat

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

Lesser Smoothcap

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Chungan Sucker Frog

The Chungan Sucker Frog (Amolops chunganensis) is a Least Concern torrent frog in the family Ranidae, endemic to central China, particularly associated with the mountains of Chongqing (formerly Chungan County, from which the species name derives) and surrounding areas. The genus Amolops, commonly known as torrent frogs or cascade frogs, is adapted for life in and around fast-flowing mountain streams, with expanded toe pads and sucker-like discs that allow clinging to wet, smooth rock surfaces in high-velocity water. Breeding occurs in stream environments, where males call from boulders at the stream edge and larvae develop in oxygenated torrent pools with specialized mouthparts for adhering to rock substrates. A. chunganensis inhabits subtropical and montane forests at elevations ranging from low to mid altitudes in Sichuan and Chongqing. The IUCN assesses this species as Least Concern, reflecting a relatively wide distribution within suitable stream habitats across central China. However, it faces ongoing pressure from water quality degradation, dam construction and stream modification, deforestation, and pollution from agricultural and urban runoff. Amolops frogs are sensitive to siltation and chemical contamination of breeding streams.