The Rose's Ghost Frog or Table Mountain Ghost Frog (Heleophryne rosei) is a species of frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

 in the Heleophrynidae family.
It is endemic to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

Its natural habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s are temperate forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s, and cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

s.
It is threatened by habitat loss.

Physical Characteristics

This is a moderately sized frog, with the larger female up to 2.4 in (60 mm) and the smaller male up to 2 in (50 mm). The coloration of adults is striking: often a pale green background with purple to brown blotches. The fingers and toes have large triangular terminal discs. A rudimentary thumb is present as a distinct inner metacarpal tubercle. The feet are half webbed, with one phalanx of the fifth toe free of web. The tadpole has neither an upper nor lower jaw sheath but up to 17 rows of posterior labial teeth. The tadpole also has a large oral disc and is able to climb up wet vertical rock faces.

Distribution

This species is known only from the eastern side of Table Mountain in Cape Town in a few perennial streams.
It hasn't been known to be found anywhere else yet.

Habitat

The typical habitat of this frog includes moist, forested gorges, with vertical rock faces covered with moss.

Behaviour

The frogs are found on rock ledges or up in vegetation at night, retreating under large rocks and in cracks of rocks during the day.

Reproductive Biology

Breeding starts in November when the streams are low but the temperature is high. The male's secondary sexual characters include a number of small black spines on the outside surfaces of the forearms, on the back, and on the top of the back legs. The eggs have not been found, but in other species they are deposited under rocks in streams. The tadpoles develop for about 12 months.

Conservation Status

This species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN and in the South African Red Data Book. The population is small, geographically restricted, and threatened by the plantations of pines on the mountain that cause the streams to dry up.