African Rain Frogs Look Like Little Angry Avocados

The animal kingdom is so rich and diverse, that it not easy to get to know all different species. While a lot of them are beautiful and adorable, others strange or scary, some are simply unique!

Have you ever seen a Black Rain frog? These amphibians are adorable, as they always look like not in the mood!

All rain frogs have small bodies and are native to Eastern and Southern Africa. This small species, Breviceps fuscus, is native to South Africa and lives only in the southern slopes of the Cape Ford Belt.

The Black rain frogs do not need open water to survive, so they are a burrowing species and can be found at elevations of 3300ft (approx 1,000m), in fynbos and forest fringes.

Their small round bodies are usually dark brown or very dark grey, and the granules of their skin make it appear very rough. They have very short limbs and toes and may grow as tall as 1.6-2 in (40-51 mm).

What makes them look angry is the configuration of the facial features.

So they are just natural! When they feel threatened, these frogs can puff themselves up, looking even angrier!

So, grumpy and swollen, and prepared to fight, they look like angry avocados!

Plus, males produce a chirping sound similar to the one when you repeatedly squeeze a rubber dog-toy!

Another interesting fact about these frogs is the process known as adhesive amplexus. Females secrete a sticky substance from their back during mating season to make sure the male doesn’t fall off!

There is no free-living larval stage, so the female Black Rain frog lays about 42 very small and yellow eggs per clutch in a half-inch (15mm) wide burrow. The males guard the eggs until they hatch.

Although these frogs are found in only one location in the world, they are listed as of least concern.

After seeing photos of these frogs, one Instagram user wrote:

“If I were an animal, this would be me. This frog reminds me of grumpy cat, and the funny thing about all these angry-looking animals is that they somehow manage to still be adorable. Don’t you just love that lil down-turned pout!”