Meet the admirable red belly toad.
It’s pretty special.
You can only find it on this tiny rocky
strip less than 700m long.
Just over a thousand of them are left.
So you can imagine how close
this little amphibian is to disappearing.
But this toad is tough
and surprisingly resilient.
Recently,
the area where it calls home was hit
by devastating floods.
After the floods of May 2024,
This will be our first expedition
to try to understand
how these individuals are using this area.
This is Michelle.
She has worked with the species
for more than 15 years.
We joined her on this expedition
to find out
if the amphibian managed
to survive.
And I can’t conceive the idea
of losing a species.
But this wasn’t the first time
the toad had faced a challenge.
A few years back,
Michelle was also involved in
a historical win
for the species.
In 2010, a proposal emerged to construct
a hydroelectric power plant
in this very region.
The dam was going to be less
than 300m from the habitat.
Any change there would be the end.
But rivers are crucial for some amphibians
and hydropower plants change
their natural flow
and block the movement of aquatic life.
Using years of field data.
Michelle and her colleagues
were able to show just how high
the risk was for the red bellied toad.
In 2013, the species was officially listed
as critically endangered.
And in the following year,
the construction of the dam was suspended.
It was the first time in Brazil,
and possibly in the world,
that an amphibian
stopped a project this big.
So it lives by the riverbank,
in a very steep-walled valley.
So, when it rains a lot, the river rises
and somehow
this species senses that a one-off threat
could lead to the extinction of
the whole population.
And that same threat
is what brought us along on Michelle’s
latest expedition.
In May 2024, Brazil’s Rio Grande
do Sul state was hit by a historic flood.
It remains at high risk.
There is still an orange warning
for this area.
This is in fact
an effect of global warming.
When I got home,
the corner of my street was
completely flooded,
cars could no longer pass through.
I had to run into the house,
pack a suitcase.
It was a race against time.
The disaster affected 2.4 million people.
The impact on local wildlife
was impossible to measure,
and Michel feared the worst for the toad.
Stuck far from the field,
she had to count on a local partner.
The river must have risen about 20 meters.
Judging by where the water mark was.
Well, we met Grazi in 2013.
Over time,
she became involved in the project.
Today, she is one of the greatest guardians
of the species.
Now, nearly a year and a half after the floods,
it’s time for the team to make its way back
and see if these toads are still there.
Let’s take a look…
Here.
And there.
Slick stones, slippery rocks
and fallen leaves.
This is where the red belly
toad likes to hide.
Its camouflage is so good
that spotting it becomes a challenge.
Look!
Here’s one!
How cute.
This is a male.
We photograph these little bellies
and then use software to identify
which are new individuals
and which are recaptures.
All done.
Next one.
Those tiny spots on his belly,
their macro glands.
They release a toxin
that helps the toad defend itself.
And the pattern is different
on every individual.
Like a fingerprint.
Their colors are so vibrant.
It’s the kind of creature where
you look at it and go
“My God, what a beautiful animal!”
That’s why it’s called “admirable”.
But their bright colors also
make them an easy target for poachers.
People don’t understand the importance
of these species in nature.
And they want to have it as a pet.
And this isn’t just a local problem.
Nearly 450 amphibian species
have already shown up in
the global pet trade .
in the U.S. alone,
more than 3.6 million amphibians
were imported
between 2013 and 2018.
In total, we got one hundred and…
eleven captures.
In two days of fieldwork.
This isn’t our all-time high,
But it’s a fair amount.
So the vegetation is recovering.
It is reclaiming the microhabitat
we used to know.
It is still difficult to answer
what will happen to the population.
But I’m worried that we need
some urgent actions.
For example, regarding deforestation.
Regarding the protection of the area.
Because sometimes you wonder,
what difference does a tiny frog make
to the environment?
But it has its importance.
Just as every animal has its importance.
For now, scientists, policymakers
and local communities
are working together to have
the species recognized
as part of the state’s official genetic heritage.
Whether that will actually lead
to stronger protection
for the toad remains to be seen.
But it’s a hopeful step
and a reminder that being tiny
doesn’t make a species any less important.