Bilbo's rain frog (Breviceps bagginsi) is an amphibian species in the family Brevicipitidae, endemic to South Africa. The frog was named after Bilbo Baggins, the main character from The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. The frog was named as such because the scientist who discovered it (L.R Minter) used to read the novel to his children. Its natural habitats are temperate grasslands and edges of wood plantations, wherein it spends most of its time in its burrow. The species is threatened by construction, maintenance of roads, silviculture, general habitat degradation/habitat loss, and by road traffic. As a result, it is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Description Breviceps bagginsi is a microhylid (narrow-mouthed) frog from the family of Brevicipitidae and was discovered in the year 2003. The body size of male individuals varies from 20 to 25.9 mm and females measure approximately 28.7 mm in length. With its highly truncated snout it is well adapted to its burrowing lifestyle. They have a characteristic tympanic membrane and their pupil is horizontally ecliptic. The dorsum of Breviceps bagginsi is a medium to dark brown and it has fairly granular skin texture with darkly pigmented tubercles, each containing openings of 2-6 dermal glands. The ventrum is smooth and of light color. Breviceps bagginsi has a black stripe running from its eye to the origin of its arm. They have a lighter bar between the eyes and a white stripe from their lower eyelid to their mouth. The sides of its body are brown with a few white speckles. As all species from Brevicipitidae, Breviceps bagginsi lack sphenethmoids, and a middle ear. Sphenethmoids are the bone of the skull surrounding the anterior end of an amphibian's brain. Distribution, habitat and ecology Breviceps bagginsi only occur in South Africa. They live on edges of wood plantations in Kwazulu-Natal midlands of southeastern South Africa along the mist belt from Boston in the west to Melmoth in the north-east and down to the coast at Mkambati. They occur in an elevation range of 25–1400 m ASL (meters above sea level). The Mkambati area is protected due to its biodiversity and therefore high conservation value. The Breviceps bagginsi population in this area lives in undisturbed grasslands. Behavior Sexual behavior and lifespan Their mating call has two different call bouts, both at a frequency of 2552 Hz. Males produce their mating call while underneath