Coastal Rocket Frog vs Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry

Allobates bromelicola compared with Physalis acutifolia

Key Differences

• Coastal Rocket Frog is Vulnerable while Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Rocket Frog	Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family	Aromobatidae	Solanaceae
Genus	Allobates	Physalis
Species	Allobates bromelicola	Physalis acutifolia

Conservation Status

Coastal Rocket Frog

VU — Vulnerable

Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Rocket Frog	Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry
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.

Sharp-leaf Ground-cherry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Japan and Sweden.

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.