Lake Junin Frog

Telmatobius macrostomus is a large aquatic amphibian entirely endemic to Lake Junin and its surrounding watersheds in the Peruvian Andes. The lake sits at an extremely high altitude of approximately 4,100 meters above sea level.

The species has suffered massive population declines due to severe water pollution from nearby mining activities, agricultural runoff, and hydroelectric dams. These human interventions have stripped the shallow lake of oxygen and destroyed the frog's natural habitat.

It is a very large species of aquatic frog, with adults frequently exceeding 10 centimeters in body length. Their immense size and entirely aquatic nature have drawn unfortunate comparisons to the famous, critically endangered Titicaca water frog.

Conservationists and local researchers in Peru have established captive breeding programs to raise the frogs in safe environments away from the heavily polluted waters of Lake Junin. The ultimate goal is to clean up the lake's ecosystem and safely reintroduce the frogs back into the wild.