Coastal Rocket Frog vs False Oat-Grass Smut

Allobates bromelicola compared with Urocystis avenae-elatioris

Key Differences

• Coastal Rocket Frog is Vulnerable while False Oat-Grass Smut is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Rocket Frog	False Oat-Grass Smut
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Ustilaginomycetes (Ustilaginomycetes)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Urocystidales (Urocystidales)
Family	Aromobatidae	Urocystidaceae
Genus	Allobates	Urocystis
Species	Allobates bromelicola	Urocystis avenae-elatioris

Conservation Status

Coastal Rocket Frog

VU — Vulnerable

False Oat-Grass Smut

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Rocket Frog	False Oat-Grass Smut
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

False Oat-Grass Smut

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.